What Is Neighborhood Planning Unit V (NPU-V)?
An Introduction to Atlanta, Georgia
The birthplace of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and the American civil rights movement, Atlanta is home to some of the country’s most prestigious historically Black colleges and universities. It serves as the headquarters for 29 Fortune 1000 companies that have collectively generated almost $429 billion in revenue during 2020 alone. With over 498,000 residents, Atlanta boasts the 10th largest metropolitan economy in the United States.
How Many Neighborhoods are in Atlanta?
The city of Atlanta consists of 242 distinct neighborhoods, which are subdivided into 25 Neighborhood Planning Units (NPUs).
What is a Neighborhood Planning Unit?
Established in 1974 by former mayor Maynard Jackson, the NPU system allows residents to have a voice in matters concerning their communities. Each NPU has a citizen advisory council that liaises with the Mayor and City Council on land use, housing, zoning and other city-planning issues.
About Atlanta’s NPU-V
Which neighborhoods belong to NPU-V?
The six neighborhoods within NPU‑V are divided between southeastern and southwestern Atlanta and consist of:
- Adair Park
- Capitol Gateway
- Mechanicsville
- Peoplestown
- Pittsburgh
- Summerhill
Key NPU-V statistics on children and families
- NPU‑V is home to 17,536 residents.
- NPU‑V has the following racial composition: 80% Black, 16% white, 3% Latino and 1% Asian residents.
- NPU‑V contains four elementary schools, a college and a career academy for high school students.
- As of 2016, the median household income was $27,103.
- Between 2011 and 2017, graduation rates in NPU‑V high schools rose from 65% to 76%.
- As of 2016, NPU‑V contained 8,698 housing units, 33% of which were vacant.
- 37% of NPU‑V households receive food stamps/SNAP assistance and 66% of students in NPU‑V schools receive SNAP benefits or are classified as homeless, unaccompanied, foster or migrant youth.
Learn more about NPU‑V in the Casey Foundation’s Changing the Odds report
NPU-V history
Formed in the aftermath of the Civil War, the six NPU‑V neighborhoods were once a thriving and diverse epicenter. Pittsburgh, for example, was founded in 1883 by formerly enslaved people who were seeking stable housing and work with nearby railroad companies. By the turn of the century, the neighborhood was home to a drugstore, schools, a funeral parlor, barber shops, restaurants and the city’s first African-American orphanage.
Things began to change in the 1950s and ’60s, however, as many residents moved to the surrounding suburbs and home values in the area declined. Decades of disinvestment and displacement followed — much of which can be attributed to discriminatory policies and practices, including the construction of interstates 20, 75 and 85.
The Annie E. Casey Foundation and NPU-V
Since 2001, the Casey Foundation’s Atlanta Civic Site team has been working to increase opportunities for NPU‑V residents by:
- focusing on neighborhood revitalization,
- promoting entrepreneurship and wealth-building strategies,
- supporting local organizations that galvanize community involvement; and
- promoting early childhood education and child development.
This work includes efforts to advance equity in Atlanta Public Schools; create safer communities; foster resident leadership; and preserve and expand access to safe, long-term affordable housing options.
Pittsburgh Yards
The Casey Foundation’s Atlanta Civic Site also serves as the primary investor and advisor on the redevelopment of Pittsburgh Yards® — a 31-acre, mixed-use commercial site that includes leasable offices, coworking spaces and for-rent apartment units. The project aims to serve as a commercial, recreational and community anchor that offers living-wage employment as well as long-term career and entrepreneurship opportunities for residents in and around NPU‑V.
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Watch a video on the community-led evolution of Pittsburgh Yards
