Author: Smart City Memphis

In the latest volley by some county commissioners in their holy war against Juvenile Court, there is another line of assault – a proposed policy to swear in every one who appears before the legislative body.Frankly, we see...

Here’s hoping that the hiring of the interim superintendent isn’t a precursor to Memphis City Schools’ hunt for the new superintendent.So far, with the interim appointment, there’s been a maximum of political horse-trading and...

Providence, Rhode Island, was once the manufacturing center of the nation. The legacy of that history is a magnificent collection of mostly abandoned mills that are slowly being reclaimed for new uses. Clay Rockefeller might not...

Sometimes there’s unintended humor in the juxtaposition between the body of an email and the perfunctory legal note automatically pasted to its end.We thought of this when an email to Joseph Lee at MLGW returned this automatic...

It’s hard to understand America’s love affair with movie stars, but clearly, it’s to the advantage of former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson as he toys with his inevitable entry into the next presidential sweepstakes.True to...

The following comment was posted by City Watch in response to last week’s commentary, Walnut Grove Road Project: The Monument To Developer Influence In Local Government. We found the comments so compelling that we...

At their most basic, large public construction projects are living things.That’s why managing them is a lot like parenting. It’s always good to have some basic rules, but success is most often found in flexibility and individual...

Since the opening of Millennium Park in Chicago, parks have become the hottest urban amenity. But Char Miller, director of urban studies at Trinity University reminds us that this is the second golden age of parks. Bold civic...

Every day, I have the same thought.Sitting in the line of traffic in the construction chaos at Walnut Grove between I-240 and Shelby Farms Park, I look at the enormity of thus roadbuilding project and I say to myself: “I don’t...

We continue to solicit contributions from readers who have ideas for improving Memphis. This post is the latest in that series, and it comes from Dr. Aaron Shafer, a postdoctoral fellow conducting research at St. Jude...