African American Suburb or Suburb that is Predominantly African American?

Unlike early African American suburbs, which in the period of segregation were developed for African Americans (and sometimes by African Americans), since the 1960s, suburban development has been more along economic lines. Nonetheless, whether high-end, low-end, or just middle-of-the-road, developers, real estate agents, and suburban shopping centers plan for development based on an area's surrounding demographics. Thus, a place such as Cascade Heights (southwest Atlanta) might feature upscale housing, but the area is predominantly African American.

Atlanta, of course, "the city too busy to hate," is almost rather unique in that its development of African American suburbs on the southwest (Fulton) and southeast (DeKalb) was encouraged, partly with the understanding from the "white" community that the north side would be predominantly Caucasian (i.e., Buckhead). Of course, this does not preclude wealthy football players and entertainers from living in Buckhead, but the upper-middle class African American community, i.e. those members who have had long-standing community ties, has often congregated in African American neighborhoods such as Collier Heights.

In the last two decades, there has been a few changing trends in the settlement patterns of whites and blacks in metro Atlanta. Increased traffic has encouraged a process of gentrification, whereby whites have moved closer-in, sometimes into the city. Meanwhile, African Americans are continuing to move out of the city and into suburban areas such as Clayton County (now majority African American) and DeKalb county (one of the largest majority-African American counties in America). Above, we see a recent suburban housing development in south DeKalb county, near Flat Shoals Road. Note the use of the front porch (evoking a traditional Southern style, more oriented to the street than the back yard) and American flag. Nothing really gives away this neighborhood as "African American." While there, at least one house was occupied by an Asian family (showing diversity). The street ended in a cul-de-sac (this limits through-traffic), while one side of the street had a sidewalk but the other didn't. Landscaping consisted mostly of new plantings, except for established trees behind the houses. Clearly, this development was a version of the "American dream" that happened to be predominantly African American, rather than an "African American" suburb.