First, we moved our homes out past the traditional idea of what constituted a city. Then, we wearied of returning to downtown for the necessities of life, so we moved our marketplaces out to where we lived. This was the malling of America, particularly during the 1960's and 1970's. Background Testing Ground Atlanta's landscape, origins, history, and booster spirit supplies a fertile territory for building new cities. Atlanta is a testing ground.
Most people try to understand cities by looking for downtowns and suburbs.
Great cities are supposed to have great downtowns with better shopping than any nearby mall and with nationally important cultural institutions designed by famous architects. Suburbs, following stereotypes of the 1950's, must be made of single family houses occupied by commuters who drive downtown on weekdays to work and on weekends for entertainment. Atlanta is different. It has no center and no periphery. Downtown and suburb are just left-over labels for what used to be.