Jimmie Covington’s Prescient Prediction About Sales Taxes
The Daily Memphian wrote today: “Under state law, county government could take half of the revenue generated for its own purposes in a process...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Nov 1, 2019 | Uncategorized
The Daily Memphian wrote today: “Under state law, county government could take half of the revenue generated for its own purposes in a process...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Nov 1, 2019 | City of Memphis Government
City of Memphis Election Turnout 1971 – 52.1% (General) 1971 – 55.6% (Runoff) 1975 – 50.4% (General) 1975 – 58.0% (Runoff) 1979 – 49.9% (General) 1979...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Oct 30, 2019 | City of Memphis Government, Economic Development, Poverty
It’s no wonder what poor people often have low expectations. The reason: it is so often justified. They were reminded of this again when...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Oct 28, 2019 | Economic Development, Talent
Memphis suffers from low expectations. I’m not talking about the lack of self-confidence – if not self-respect – that was a defining characteristic of Memphis for...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Oct 24, 2019 | Economic Development
As Memphis works to transition from the workforce of the 1980s to one that can compete in a twenty-first-century economy of innovation and technology, the University of Memphis...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Oct 21, 2019 | City of Memphis Government, Downtown Revitalization
After the initial reaction to the rendering for the long-awaited pedestrian bridge connecting Bass Pro Shops with the Pinch Historic District, we’re confident that...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Oct 18, 2019 | Downtown Revitalization, Livability, Planning and Urban Design
In light of the Downtown Memphis’ Commission’s review of downtown parking and ways to make it more effective and efficient, we are posting a commentary by retired UCLA...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Oct 16, 2019 | Uncategorized
As we watch local government officials who can’t seem to get the facts straight or understand...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Oct 14, 2019 | City of Memphis Government, Economic Development
In 1997, legendary musician, singer, and producer Jim Dickinson – whose reputation extended far beyond Memphis as he rubbed shoulders as a peer with the Rolling Stones, Big...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Oct 11, 2019 | City of Memphis Government
By Shirley Bondon October 3, 2019: Did Memphis Speak? Is Silence Agreement or Consent? On October 3, 2019, 96,425 Memphians, 20 percent of the adult population of Memphis, elected the...
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.