If you’ve already given up on Jackson, this episode may not be for you. Or maybe it’s exactly for you.
This week on the Empower Podcast, Grant Callen sits down with urban strategist Josh McManus, who looks a little like a farmer in brown overalls and talks a little like a philosopher, but has spent decades helping cities like Chattanooga, Detroit, Cleveland, and New Orleans rethink their future and reverse decline. Now he’s spending time in Jackson, and somehow, despite everything, he’s wildly optimistic about its future.
In this conversation, Josh explains why Jackson’s struggles are not unique, why so many American cities hollowed out over the last 70 years, and why he believes the key to revival is restoring what he calls “the right to rise,” the belief that ordinary people can build a better life where they are.
We also talk about why cities fail when they operate from a mindset of scarcity, why thriving cities embrace abundance instead, and why Mississippi’s capital city still has cultural, economic, and strategic assets most people overlook.
Along the way, we discuss the redevelopment of the former Chastain Middle School campus on Northside Drive, the future of neighborhood revitalization, and why Josh believes Jackson could become one of America’s great comeback stories.
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14 comments:
KF, did you see the WLBT article claiming Jackson proper real estate up 32% from last year? https://www.wlbt.com/2026/05/09/jackson-home-values-surge-32-metro-real-estate-market-shifts-new-opportunities-sellers-buyers/
Jackson come back???? Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!
Just by looking at the cities he has helped does not put a lot of hope for Jackson.
i was hoping for a mayflower recipe
Jackson has one major advantage which could be the asset that saves it in the future: location. If you were scouting locations around the south to start a city, Jackson sits on a prime spot in the middle of everything. Location is always important. Judging by the present trend of population decrease, much of Jackson WILL be starting from scratch in the foreseeable future. Worthless today, prime real estate tomorrow. It's possible.
We can hope.
Thanks for sharing!
In a city where your main revenue is parking and water........you would think they would actually collect that money. They haven't in 16 years. Yes. These are facts.
Zillow reports that my property in Fondren has increased 8k in the last14 months. Suck it, haters.
This city still has a lot going for it. University of Mississippi Medical Center is one of the biggest medical hubs in the state. Jackson State University and the other colleges keep bringing in young talent. We sit smack dab in the middle of the state, and the Jackson metro still has more than 600,000 people. That’s a pretty stout foundation if folks are willing to build on it.
But there are four things we need to be honest about.
**1. Jackson is fixable.**
This isn’t some hopeless case. Cities all over this country have taken their lumps and come back stronger. Jackson can too.
**2. Mississippi’s reputation is a real problem.**
Whether we like it or not, a lot of folks outside this state still think Mississippi is stuck in 1962. That makes it harder to recruit businesses, professionals, and families.
**3. Too many people have thrown up their hands.**
Complaining is easy. Rolling up your sleeves is harder. Jackson won’t turn around until more people decide it’s worth the effort.
**4. We’ve got to stop bleeding people.**
If our best and brightest keep packing up for Dallas, Atlanta, and Nashville, we’re trying to fill a bucket with a hole in the bottom.
That’s the plain truth. Jackson still has good bones, good people, and plenty of potential. But potential is like a tractor parked in the barn. It won’t do a lick of work until somebody turns the key and puts it in gear.
Don’t confuse stabilization with recovery. Drive through west and south Jackson and then give us an update.
That is based on inflation, not real appreciation. Dream on.
Fact Jackson is one of Americas most dangerous cities Fact Jackson schools suck fact JPD isn’t very good at solving crime fact hinds county judges are soft on crime. At best Jackson MAY stop the bleeding at best but NEVER recover
How much is this grift costing? Nothing will change until the culture changes, and that will take a generation or more.
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