'"Black flight"' is the term for the sociological trend of lower class, middle class, and upper midle-class African-Americans moving away from predominately black or mixed culture inner city areas to suburban areas and outlying edge cities of new home construction. This trend began its momentum in the late 1990's and 2000's as the purchase of detached single family homes, via all manner of home lending products, became an increrasing trend among middle class African American and upper middle class "Buppie" families as a means to securing a meaningful investment in what many see as an increasingly "asset based" economy. For others, the deterioration of inner city public schools has fueled a drive of many black parents to move their families to suburban areas, with traditionally better funded schools, to seek better opportunites for their children. Languages Predominantly American English Religions Predominantly Christianity and Islam Related ethnic groups Sub-Saharan Africans and other African groups, some with Native American groups. ... Illustration of the backyards of a surburban neighbourhood Suburbs are inhabited districts located either on the outer rim of a city or outside the official limits of a city (the term varies from country to country), or the outer elements of a conurbation. ... The middle class (or middle classes) comprises a social group once defined by exception as an intermediate social class between the nobility and the peasantry. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ...

American Car Culture

For many African American families, the American car culture and the increasing consumer purchasing power of the black middle class, due to a variety of factors, has been a powerful driving force in propelling many of them to move to less urban areas where it is less expensive, and generally easier to find parking for a private automobile or multiple private automobiles in both residential and commercial areas. In addition large Sport Utility Vehicles(SUVs), popular with families of all demographic groups to include many African Amercian families, are typically easier and less expensive to park in suburban areas with less dense street parking, more free parking in retail areas. An African American (also Afro-American, Black American, or simply black) is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ... Over the course of the 20th century, the automobile rapidly developed from an expensive technological wonder into the de facto standard for passanger transport. ...

The automobile advertising industry has permeated all manner of popular culture, cutting across demographic lines, to include the world of Hip Hop Top 40 music videos. The expensive and flashy cars portrayed in many these videos are seen as a powerful cultural force in perpetuating the lifestyle appeal of the American car culture among some African Americans. To the extent to which it becomes increasing expensive to operate a private automobile in a dense urban city due to transportation planning trends, and auto insurance company territorial rating or zip code profiling practices, anyone that embraces the private automoibile as a part of their lifestyle will find it increasingly cost ineffective to reside in a dense urban area. A music video (also video clip, promo) is a short film or video meant to present a visual representation of a popular music song. ... Over the course of the 20th century, the automobile rapidly developed from an expensive technological wonder into the de facto standard for passanger transport. ... Transportation planning is the field involved with the siting of transportation facilities (generally streets and highways and public transport lines). ...

Gentrification

In many cases, longtime black renters have been priced out of their inner city neighborhoods because of rising rents caused by gentrification. This trend is mitigated by cities with rent control or rent stabilization laws. In other cases, rising home values increase property taxes assesments which many longtime homeowners cannot afford. In still other areas historic preservation activists help instigate a trend of code enforcement of artchitectural details of older historic homes and apartment buildings. The restoration costs are often too much for many lower income black homeowners to stomach. This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... Rent control refers to laws or ordinances that set price controls on the renting of residential housing. ... Historic preservation, heritage management, or heritage conservation is the theory and practice of creatively maintaining the historic built environment and controlling the landscape component of which it is an integral part. ...

The "Wealth Effect"

In still other instances, longtime black homeowners in central city areas have "cashed out" at retirement age and profited from increasing home values. In many instances, these longtime residents have relocated to condominums, outlying suburban areas, and other regions altogether. In many cases these longtime residents travel great distances from outlying suburban areas to continue to worship at their same inner city church from their old neighborhood. In other instances, church congregations have relocated alltogether to more suburban areas, in many instances constructing new chapels and sanctuaries in the process.

See also

• White flight
• Gentrification
• Urban decay
• Historic Preservation
• Mortgage discrimination
• Planned shrinkage
• Redlining