Author: Smart City Memphis

The redevelopment of riverfronts has been one of the drivers of urban revitalization in many U.S. cities. This week’s guests are working to bring new life to two of those riverfronts.Benny Lendermon is leading the effort...

Maybe we were out of town and missed the press conference.Surely, there was one called by religious leaders to condemn the grotesque anti-Semitism in the flyer attacking U.S. Congressman Steve Cohen by a doctrine-starved Middle...

So, after four years of supposed serious interest in opening a megastore in The Pyramid, Bass Pro Shop discovers that Memphis sits on a fault zone.Due diligence sure must mean something different in Springfield, Missouri.That...

A key to living and working downtown is a sense of proportion.We’ve been clear that we have a no tolerance attitude toward panhandlers. We are flexible about the homeless.That’s why we had no problems with the man earlier this...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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....