Author: Smart City Memphis

Portland, Oregon, is one of our favorite cities. More importantly, it’s one of America’s most progressive, most innovative ones. That’s been proven in its leadership for smart growth, for regional planning and financing, for...

From Fortune:ROUGHLY 200,000 Americans will sleep rough tonight; many have done so for years. The fact that this is happening in the richest country in history is a travesty. But you know that. You’ve heard it again and...

Following up our last post about TIF, how about another alphabet approach that could be a positive addition to Memphis’ tools for the future? It’s a BID.To recap, we’re suggesting that our economic and community development...

It’s time to resurrect tax increment financing (TIF) as a possible incentive for economic growth in Memphis and Shelby County and as an alternative to our overreliance on tax freezes.The TIF is the favored business incentive in...

Memphis loves its neighborhoods.All prevailing political conjecture to the contrary, there is no argument that the thread that runs through the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Housing Survey of the Memphis MSA is our...

Ok, we admit that downtown panhandling is a hot button issue for us, so we were doing our best to support the latest anti-panhandling campaign rolled out by Memphis Police Department, Center City Commission and others.Our...

Frequently, a government agency does something that just makes you shake your head and wonder, “Do they really think we’re that stupid?”That’s a regular reaction when it comes to the actions of the Memphis and Shelby County...

Temple Israel Senior Rabbi Micah Greenstein spoke at Calvary Episcopal Church’s Lenten Luncheons last week on Earth Day. You can hear it at: http://www.calvaryjc.org/homiliesLent/20060321.htmlHere’s an abridged text...

Something seems to happen the moment that many legislators sit down in the chambers of the Tennessee General Assembly. They forget they represent every one in their districts, not just their narrow political bases. There was a...

A few months ago, Leadership Memphis concentrated on a provocative question, “What Makes a Great City?” and it heard from a highly informative panel of five local leaders, from a noted national urban observer, and from Denver...