Gated Communities I: A New Horizon in Residential Security?

Gated communities are restricted-access residential developments whereby public spaces are privatised. The term refers to a physical area that is fenced or walled-off from its surroundings. There are many types of gated community with differing degrees of amenities, exclusivity and security.

Gated communities reflect an urban entity that is physically - and often socially and economically - differentiated from the surrounding urban environment. For example, there are retirement or so-called "senior" communities, mainly located in southern parts of the United States where right of residency is dependent on age. Other communities are constructed around specific activities such golf, yachting or horse-riding, which are usually strongly identified with the wealthier social classes and thus also contribute to social selection.

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Gated communities physically restrict access to space by privatising communal spaces. Some gated communities even privatise civic services such as police protection and education. The gated community offers a greater level of control over living spaces and property. It is a response to fears of what can happen to property and people. Gating a housing estate is also a way for developers to market a property as being more exclusive.

Some homeowners see them as a way of protecting property values from being affected by changes in the city around them (Blakely et al. 1998), but for many others it is above all for their own safety that they choose to live in gated communities (El Nasser 2002).

Many critics consider that these gated communities represent a danger for social cohesion, in that they privatise public spaces whilst applying strict social criteria to exclude non-members. They increase social segregation and could thus play a role in exacerbating social tensions.