Memphis, Tennesee
A Sizeable City on the Bubble
Memphis, TN, as of 2022 has a population of 621,000. While this size of city is comparable to a number of other cities that have been selected as integrated points of interest, Memphis is constrained by several factors:
- It is not Nashville, TN
- It is relatively close to Little Rock, AR
- The primary growth Memphis is known for is its crime rate
Those factors offer a fairly negative assessment of Memphis as a target destination for any form of transit, but Memphis may be at a place where the realization of its plight is recognized and mediation efforts would be considered. Memphis must be a destination city for it to pull itself out of the negative cycle of crime. It must be a city and State effort to bring Memphis back to a place of repute. Should Memphis offer a dedicated reason for a rail integration, then Memphis' status "on the bubble" might be shifted to a concerted integration plan.
As Memphis city has expanded by way of annexation, there are vast swaths of land from which a crafted transit experience could be built. A secondary central core, a dedicated development program, a fresh look and a honed master plan based on what Memphis is and wants to be known for could be constructed without the constraints of city demolition and reconstruction.
