Breaking Up Stockbridge; Georgia Looks to Make a New, Richer Suburb

Vikki Consiglio wants to create “high-end” town, leaving debt and poorer residents behind.

1 minute read

June 30, 2018, 7:00 AM PDT

By Casey Brazeal @northandclark


Some in Stockbridge want to annex a piece of the suburb to make a smaller, richer town they feel would be better able to attract amenities. The idea from Stockbrildge resident, Vikki Consiglio, would, she argues, make a new city that would have a more "high-end feel" according to reporting from Margaret Newkirk in Bloomberg Business. "For more than a decade, the Atlanta area has been dividing into ever smaller pieces segregated by race and class as cities are carved out from unincorporated county land," Newkirk writes.

"She says her section can’t attract businesses like Buckhead’s because of the lower income of the rest of Stockbridge. Her idea: The whole neighborhood could break away," Newkirk reports. The new whiter, richer city, to be called 'Eagle's Landing' would also leave behind millions of dollars in debt for a now decidedly poorer Stockbridge to contend with.

Experts say that this secession would have a ripple effect. "It raises the specter that residents of other well-heeled Georgia neighborhoods could ask the state for the same thing. This topic had all attendees buzzing at a recent municipal finance conference in Detroit, according to Tracy Gordon of the Urban Institute, a think tank. Citigroup Inc. says investors are concerned it could create a 'destabilizing precedent,'" Newkirk reports.

Thursday, June 21, 2018 in Bloomberg Business

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1, 2025 - KQED

Blue and silver Amtrak train at small station.

Amtrak Rolls Out New Orleans to Alabama “Mardi Gras” Train

The new service will operate morning and evening departures between Mobile and New Orleans.

July 3 - New Orleans City Business

Large spinning swing ride at Chicago's Navy Pier.

The Subversive Car-Free Guide to Trump's Great American Road Trip

Car-free ways to access Chicagoland’s best tourist attractions.

July 3 - Streetsblog Chicago

Aerial view of downtown San Antonio, Texas at night with rotating Tower of the Americas in foreground.

San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion

The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.

July 3 - Governing