Author: Smart City Memphis

On February 4, 2001, the first broadcast of Smart City featured a young Pittsburgh economist who was about to turn traditional economic development theory on its head. His name was Richard Florida, whose research on the...

Richard Florida speaks again this week in Memphis about the importance of creative workers and the implications for cities like ours. It’s been six years since he first spoke to Memphians on this subject, five years since he...

In the Wall Street Journal this week, Joel Kotkin once again seemed like a man with an opinion in search of a statistic. We normally disregard his trenchant complaints – although we have decided that Richard Florida must have...

The quality of places results from many factors. This week we’re going to talk to two experts in very different fields, both of whom are deeply engaged in making better places.Maria Hibbs directs The Partnership for New...

To continue the “green” theme, there’s a forum Saturday morning on a subject way overdue for Memphis – how design and environmental sustainability don’t have to be mutually exclusive.The speakers for the session are David Yocca...

Previously published as Memphis magazine’s City Journal column:The first stirrings of a green ethos in Memphis are taking place in the unlikeliest of places – Shelby County Government.It would have been unimaginable only a...

In following up a post about ArtsMemphis, Harvey asked if creativity can in fact be nurtured, which inspired our recent question of the week:Do you think that a city can do anything to encourage creativity? If it can, what...

The Jackson, Mississippi, mayor broke the code: Instant law enforcement consolidation.While long overdue – now in their fourth month – discussions here about merging law enforcement responsibilities of Memphis Police...

A few weeks ago, two reporters for Grist magazine, a leader in environmental journalism, were in Memphis as part of a tour of Old Man River from Dubuque to Memphis, and we got the chance to meet with them.It’s always interesting...

Shelby County Commissioner Steve Mulroy has developed a reputation during his 13 months in office as someone who acts on his heartfelt belief in American liberalism. That’s why it’s so hard to fathom his sponsorship of Monday’s...