Building Together: City of Memphis Weekly Newsletter

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Last month I began a journey as part of a class of 40 mayors embarking on the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative. The program aims to help leaders from across the globe enhance city development and work towards better outcomes for our community and residents. 

It was an honor to be accepted into the class, and the privilege of being surrounded and supported by leaders from around the world was humbling. I had the opportunity to have one-on-one discussions and dialogues about the critical issues these different leaders are facing, and those conversations showed me that Memphis' challenges are quite similar to those faced by communities across the globe. From Nairobi, Kenya, to Philadelphia, PA, and from Gary, IN, and Colorado Springs, Co, to Cali, Colombia, we are all fighting for the same things for our communities. A recurring theme was one of creating a better quality of life for our residents, with more access to opportunity, wealth, and beauty. 

(Photos from the inspiring week-long conference in Cambridge, Mass.)

I found the case studies and practical applications really compelling; one from Buffalo, NY, was particularly relevant to the work we are doing in Memphis. 

For the past 20 years, the city of Buffalo has been engaged in a community cleanup and blight mitigation program called Clean Sweep, and the evolution of the program is truly inspiring. What started as a singularly focused effort to mitigate crime grew and expanded to encompass broader community well-being. Now, the program involves the Police Department, nonprofits, and residents from neighborhoods all coming together over 30 times a year to carry out detailed community cleanups and code enforcement missions. 

The work has led to greater revitalization in those neighborhoods involved, and the consistent efforts have made a powerful positive impact on the community. Yes, the reduction in crime was measurable and meaningful, but the big takeaway for me was the engagement. The part of the story that spoke to me was the collaboration and community involvement that encouraged the residents of Buffalo to take ownership and pride in the change they had made in their city. 

This program is very much like our very own Operation Code Zero, and as I studied the Buffalo model, I could see a future Memphis in my mind – a safer, stronger, more beautiful Memphis – one where our residents, community organizations, non-profits, and government work alongside each other to realize our shared vision.

While at the conference, our conversations often centered on the profound impact that effective, decisive leadership can bring to a community and a city. It was truly encouraging for me to see that many of the initiatives we have been promoting within our team are in line with these principles of strong leadership. This validation reaffirms that we are moving in the right direction by empowering our city leaders to inspire their teams, making them feel connected to a larger purpose beyond their daily responsibilities. It's imperative that we all feel like we are contributing to work that will shape a new chapter for our city. Leadership - in our administration and in our community - is key to that work.

(Group sessions and one-on-one connections promoted our collective progress.)

Ultimately, I left the conference excited about our city’s path forward, and believing that our city-building strategies are on the right track. It also deepened my commitment to helping our community continue to shift our frustration into motivation as we act with urgency to heal and strengthen our city. 

We are better together. And I am confident that we are on the right path to a better Memphis for all of us. 

Three easy ways to share the positive messages and be part of the solution: 

1. The work is working. Our year-to-date crime numbers are DOWN 13% across all part 1 categories, with some of our precincts seeing even greater reductions! Visit the dashboard and track the progress here. (We maintain two crime dashboards, the Weekly Crime Trend report can be found here, and the Crime Analytics dashboard can be accessed here.)

2. Calling all Faith Leaders. We are hosting an Own Your Block Faith-Based Gathering, designed to foster collaboration between faith leaders and the City’s administration to create a safer, cleaner, and more prosperous Memphis. Our kick-off event will be held on August 26, 2024, at the Cannon Center. If you are a faith leader (any denomination or religion), we invite you to please join us. Learn more here. 

3. Our restaurants need you. This week we met with members of the Memphis Restaurant Association and were blown away by their commitment to community and desire to help create a stronger Memphis. These men and women literally create the flavor of our city, and came to city hall to share that they wanted to be a part of solution. So, when you eat out or pick up to-go food this week (and we hope that you do), please thank them for what they are doing to support our city. You can find a Memphis Restaurant Association member here, a downtown restaurant here, or just go out and support your favorite neighborhood eatery!

Bonus Positive Story: Recap from the Operation Hope American Aspiration Tour. Watch it here. 

Our Strike Team worked in the following zip codes this week: 38104, 38106, 38108, 38111, 38114, 38118.

And our Blight Zero team is making amazing progress with multi-day initiatives. In July, we were at the following locations: Airways/Carnes, Austin Peay, and Hyde Park.

Social and Community Shout-outs:

District Dumpster Days. This Saturday, help keep our streets free of litter and unwanted items by utilizing our FREE dumpster in District 6! See more and share here. 

Youth Baseball Clinics. Registration is now open for FREE youth baseball clinics hosted by the Memphis Parks Athletics Department! See more and share here.

Local Business Community Event. Join Mayor Paul Young and Chief CJ Davis for a discussion on capital, crime prevention, and strengthening the local business community. See more and share here.

Celebrate Elvis Week! Councilwoman Pearl Walker welcomes visitors from around the world to Elvis week - August 9-17! See more and share here.

Weekly round-up

in partnership and progress,

Paul A. Young