Poverty Research: No Progress In Reducing Memphis Poverty The singular failure of economic development plans in Memphis is their inability to reduce the poverty rate. It’s really no surprise.  While poverty is a dependable talking point in speech after speech, it often feels like a “check the box” point to make.  Meanwhile, economic development plans themselves don’t include poverty reduction as a measurement […]
https://www.smartcitymemphis.c....om/2025/11/poverty-r

Shelby County Jail Culture: A Death Sentence For Too Many Frankie Dakin said it perfectly in a recent Facebook post: Shelby County Jail is now a human rights issue. Indeed. Because that it is now the case, Sheriff Floyd Bonner has tainted his more than four decade law enforcement career to the point that mismanagement is now his brand and the deaths of 67 inmates […]
https://www.smartcitymemphis.c....om/2025/11/shelby-co

Data Points: Poverty Rates for Memphis ZIP Codes The indispensable Memphis Poverty Fact 2025 features a wealth of data that are equal parts illuminating and discouraging.  More than anything, they are a call to action. #2 – Memphis’ poverty rate among cities with population of more than 500,000 (37 cities) #2 – Memphis child poverty rate among cities with more than 500,000 population […]
https://www.smartcitymemphis.c....om/2025/11/data-poin

Mud Island: The Mystery in the Mississippi The following is my October City Journal column in Memphis magazine: Mud Island Park has been called many things, but most of all, it should be called a cautionary tale. Opened to a gala celebration on the Fourth of July, 1982, its 52 acres have confounded city officials for decades with a history equal parts […]
https://www.smartcitymemphis.c....om/2025/11/mud-islan

Shelby County Compared to Other Tennessee Counties Tennessee has 95 counties and the Think Tennessee State of our Counties Dashboard has metrics that show the fascinating rank of Shelby County in relation to its sister counties and the results indicate the structural challenges that exist in our community and opportunities at progress: #51 – Employment growth – 14.6%, change in the count […]
https://www.smartcitymemphis.c....om/2025/11/shelby-co