Memo To News Editor
Someone emails with this question:How come the stun gun incident involving 2 middle school students in the County Schools attacking another student and the brawl across the street from Houston High School don’t get...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Feb 19, 2008 | Uncategorized
Someone emails with this question:How come the stun gun incident involving 2 middle school students in the County Schools attacking another student and the brawl across the street from Houston High School don’t get...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Feb 18, 2008 | Uncategorized
Finally, someone is asking the right questions about The Pyramid.Someone is stepping back to ask the “real” question about its future. Someone is willing to consider that the two best ideas for the darkened arena may not just be...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Feb 18, 2008 | Uncategorized
And officials in DeSoto County wonder why we often have so little positive feelings toward them.Sometimes, it’s hard to shake the feeling that they are circling our community like vultures, looking to pick off our companies and...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Feb 18, 2008 | Uncategorized
New City Councilman Jim Strickland recently learned a key lesson about local government – many elected officials essentially see government as a jobs program.On its face, Councilman Strickland’s proposal to allow emergency...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Feb 17, 2008 | Uncategorized
Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton has sent two strong signals that he intends to get more involved in the affairs of Memphis City schools.One was as he assertively and decisively brushed aside district indecision and took charge of...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Feb 17, 2008 | Uncategorized
This week’s guests are on the frontlines of making cities sustainable with their work on housing, mixed use development and Main Streets.Jonathan Rose has been called the father of the green affordable housing movement....
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Feb 14, 2008 | Uncategorized
We wrote yesterday about The Commercial Appeal using some of Memphis’ most precious real estate – its front page – for its weekly “single mother counter.” We also suggested some other facts, trends and information that we...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Feb 14, 2008 | Uncategorized
To follow up the topic of contraception in our latest post, we think the Memphis and Shelby County Health Department should follow the lead of its New York City counterpart and develop its own condoms. To read more about the New...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Feb 14, 2008 | Uncategorized
With column inches in increasingly short supply, The Commercial Appeal uses its prime real estate on the front page to herald this bulletin – 1,024 children have been born to single mothers this year.Actually, it’s not really a...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Feb 12, 2008 | Uncategorized
If you’re interested in cities, you’ll be interested in this program. To learn more, click here.
Read Moreby Bill Day. Memphian Bill Day is two-time winner of the RFK Journalism Award in Cartooning. His cartoons are syndicated internationally by Cagle Cartoons. Cartoons Archive →
Since 2005, this has been Smart City Consulting’s blog with the aim of connecting the dots and providing perspective on issues and policies shaping Memphis. Editor and primary author is Tom Jones, City Journal columnist at Memphis magazine, author of two books and a museum exhibition, and consultant on public policy and strategic planning. He has written articles for MLK50, The Commercial Appeal, and USA Today. The blog was called one of the most intriguing blogs in the U.S. by the Pew Partnership for Civic Change; The (Memphis) Commercial Appeal said it “provides some of the most well-thought-out thinking about Memphis’ past, present, and future you’ll find anywhere,” and the Memphis Flyer said: “This incredibly well-written blog sets out to solve the city’s ills – from the mayor to MATA – with out-of-the-box thinking, fresh approaches to old problems, and new ideas.” If you have questions, submissions, or ideas for posts, please email Tom Jones, at tjones@smartcityconsulting.com.