Black Suburbanization: Case Studies of Four Metropolitan Areas

摘要

Case studies of population changes in the Detroit, Houston, Philadelphia, and Atlanta metropolitan areas provide evidence that black suburbanization generally has perpetuated the social and economic differences between blacks and whites previously found in the central city. Increased black suburbanization is due more to the spillover of central city black neighborhoods into nearby and declining suburbs than to improved social and economic conditions for blacks. All four metropolitan areas had a black population that was approximately 20 percent of the total population in 1980. Blacks comprised over 60 percent of the total central city population in Detroit and Atlanta, 37.8 percent in Philadelphia, and 27.6 percent in Houston in 1980. While each area experienced significant growth in black suburban population, the suburbs remained overwhelmingly white. Each case study begins with an historical overview of the metropolitan area's development. An analysis of trends in black suburbanization in terms of specific locations allows the study to determine if black suburbanization is spillover or widely dispersed. The case studies also explore characteristics of the suburban black population and the impact of suburbanization on their standards of living, concluding that most suburban blacks are only slightly better off than central city blacks. Finally, each study reviews the role of employment. The report notes that black suburbanization is not directly linked to the location of employment, but suggests that blacks are more likely to choose suburban residences as job opportunities in the suburbs expand. Tables, references, and maps are supplied.