Memphis By the Numbers – But Which Numbers?
By John Branston This post is intended to be a follow-up to a recent post, What Is Memphis’...
Read Moreby Smart City Memphis | Apr 17, 2025 | Data Points, John Branston | 2
By John Branston This post is intended to be a follow-up to a recent post, What Is Memphis’...
Read Moreby Smart City Memphis | Apr 10, 2025 | Federal Government, FedEx, John Branston, Memphis Businesses | 0
By John Branston Imagine if there were a Trump tariff on goods that – although not made in Memphis...
Read Moreby Smart City Memphis | Apr 1, 2025 | Civil War History, Federal Government, John Branston, Parks and Greening | 0
By John Branston You can’t go all noir when you drive to Shiloh in the...
Read Moreby Smart City Memphis | Mar 13, 2025 | Education, Federal Government, John Branston, Memphis City Schools, Shelby County government | 1
By John Branston “Education” is a vague platitude. And the federal Department of Education is...
Read Moreby Smart City Memphis | Mar 6, 2025 | City of Memphis Government, John Branston, Libraries | 0
By John Branston Have you noticed that the escalators are not working at the celebrated Memphis...
Read Moreby Smart City Memphis | Feb 27, 2025 | John Branston | 1
By John Branston One billion. A big number. 1000 million. Once used only in famous quotes by...
Read Moreby Smart City Memphis | Feb 17, 2025 | John Branston, Sports | 0
By John Branston The Super Bowl is over. Nothing like it, eh? Actually there is, or rather there...
Read Moreby Smart City Memphis | Feb 3, 2025 | City of Memphis Government, John Branston, Politics and Government | 3
By John Branston The line forms this week outside the door of Mayor Paul Young’s office on...
Read Moreby Smart City Memphis | Jan 23, 2025 | John Branston, Travel | 0
By John Branston Monday January 20, 2025, was a harmonic convergence as rare as a total eclipse. Flags were at half staff atop tall buildings in San Francisco. Was the city President Trump loves to hate in the state he loves to...
Read Moreby Smart City Memphis | Jan 8, 2025 | John Branston, Tourism, Travel | 1
By John Branston Are you a sucker for the New York Times annual “52 Places to Visit” feature that...
Read Moreby Smart City Memphis | Jan 2, 2025 | Books, John Branston, Literature | 0
By John Branston If you resolve to read only one serious book in 2025, then let it be James by...
Read Moreby Smart City Memphis | Dec 16, 2024 | Federal Government, Federal Policy, John Branston, Memphis Businesses | 1
By John Branston President-elect Trump is PO-ed about the PO and intends to cut it down to size,...
Read Moreby Bill Day. Memphian Bill Day is two-time winner of the RFK Journalism Award in Cartooning. His cartoons are syndicated internationally by Cagle Cartoons. Cartoons Archive →
Since 2005, this has been Smart City Consulting’s blog with the aim of connecting the dots and providing perspective on issues and policies shaping Memphis. Editor and primary author is Tom Jones, columnist at Memphis magazine, author of two books and a museum exhibition, and consultant on public policy and strategic planning. Smart City Memphis was called one of the most intriguing blogs in the U.S. by the Pew Partnership for Civic Change; The (Memphis) Commercial Appeal wrote: “Smart City Memphis provides some of the most well-thought-out thinking about Memphis’ past, present, and future you’ll find anywhere,” and the Memphis Flyer said: “This incredibly well-written blog sets out to solves the city’s ills – from the mayor to MATA – with out-of-the-box thinking, fresh approaches to old problems, and new ideas.” If you have questions, submissions, or ideas for posts, please email Tom Jones, at tjones@smartcityconsulting.com.