Author: Smart City Memphis

Sometimes, it seems like the board of commissioners for Memphis City Schools finds it hard to take a step in the right direction without first shooting themselves in the foot. That was certainly the case with its recent decision...

If we’re not careful, aerotropolis will fall victim to its own hype.It’s hard to remember a concept that has had as much build up as quickly as the notion that Memphis can be the home of North America’s first true aerotropolis....

To follow up yesterday’s post about the importance of keeping children in cities, here’s a report by CEOs for Cities, which commissioned the Institute of Design to “get beyond the obvious to help us understand...

Protecting our water, our land, and our natural habitat is really about protecting us. It’s about protecting people. Dave Ulrich is one such protector. As head of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, it is...

“You can’t have a city without middle-class families and kids,” our colleague Carol Coletta said in a USA Today article about her CEOs for Cities’ study about what cities can do to retain families. “You can’t have a childless...

It’s always interesting to watch new legislative bodies as they develop a collective personality that is as distinctive as the individuals that combine to create it.That’s taking place now at Memphis City Council, and while it’s...

When you have one of the biggest law firms in Memphis (as Shelby County Government does), the answer to every problem – no matter how insignificant – is based on a belief that every solution is always found in yet another rule...

We’re hoping that the Memphis City Schools Board of Commissioners keeps the metal detectors and X-ray machines issue in perspective.Yes, the price tag is $4.5 million sounds like a lot of money. It’s just worth remembering that...

The mayor of Lakeland had his feelings bruised recently when Shelby County Mayor A C Wharton didn’t give him the same advance warning as the other town mayors about another push for consolidation.Based on comments in The...

The decision to change the name of our alma mater has never looked smarter.Gone is the limp Memphis State University moniker and in its place is the assertive-sounding University of Memphis.This week, it’s looked like the...