By: Gabi Hart

In Atlanta, new development often comes with a cost: neighborhoods change, prices rise and longtime residents get pushed out. But in English Avenue, a community just west of downtown, OaksATL is transforming that narrative.

This summer, my co-intern Asia and I took a tour of the neighborhood with Rue Gunter, OaksATL’s director of business development. I also conducted a follow-up interview with Gunter to learn how the organization is working to develop English Avenue without fueling gentrification.

Unlike many developers, OaksATL is hyperlocal. Its staff live in the neighborhood. They don’t build luxury homes. And they’re focused entirely on English Avenue, not the Westside at large.

OaksATL started in 2017, born out of the work of Peace Preparatory Academy (Peace Prep),

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