Author: Smart City Memphis

Many communities owe their existence to the routing first, of the railroad, later, of the highway, and then of the interstate. Transportation is fundamental to land values and the way communities grow.This week’s guests...

The blowup about a second Juvenile Court Judge seems destined to become a defining moment for the Democratic-controlled Shelby County Board of Commissioners.Finally, after 15 years as the minority party, they achieved the...

Los Angeles — Planetizen, the leading news and information website for the urban planning, design and development community, has partnered with Smart City Radio to produce a monthly segment airing on public radio stations...

The release each year by the Tennessee Department of Education of its State Report Card is accompanied by celebration and rhetoric about improving schools, but it’s the educational equivalent of the Detroit Tigers popping the...

The Memphis Regional Chamber is back from the brink. With a vengence.Just slightly more than a year ago, the city’s lead economic development agency was looking for a new president, and it was uncertain which would come first...

If there is a Democratic way of running government, the creation of an unneeded second Juvenile Court judge by the Shelby County Board of Commissioners is about to become its poster child.It’s too bad, because with less than...

Did you know that in the United States Congress, there is a task force on Livable Communities? Is your Congressman a member?Earl Blumenauer is. He represents Portland, Oregon and the people of the 3rd district in Congress, and...

In one of the most unusual shout-outs in local politics lately, Memphis Mayor Willie W. Herenton last week praised former Shelby County Commissioner John Willingham for his proposal to tax the 80,000 commuters coming into this...

From Otis White’s Urban Journal at governing.com. Otis is a regular guest on Smart City each week:The Fading Urban Marketplace of IdeasIf you look back on the novels written about cities since the 18th century, one theme...

It didn’t take long for the Memphis Fire Department to challenge the notion that it should manage the Shelby County Fire Department. As we mentioned in Friday’s post, fire officials have proven adept at blowing up...