Gated community
In its modern form, a
gated community is a form of
residential community sometimes characterized by a closed perimeter of walls and fences, but always containing controlled entrances for
pedestrians,
bicycles, and
automobiles. Gated communities usually consist of small residential streets and include various amenities. For smaller communities this may be only a park or other common area. For larger communities, it may be possible for residents to stay within the community for most day-to-day activities.
Gated communities are a type of
Common Interest Community (CIC) or
Common Interest Development (CID), but are distinct from
intentional communities.
Most gated communities, usually called guard-gated communities, are staffed by private
security guards, often with
CCTV and other electronic aids. These communities are often home to high-value properties. Some gated communities are set up as retirement villages.
The amenities available depend on many factors including location, demographic composition and community structure. If there are sub-associations that belong to master associations, the master association may provide many of the amenities. In general, the larger the association the more amenities that can be provided. Amenities depend on the type of housing. For example, single family communities many not have a common area pool since the individual owners may want their own pools whereas a
condominium may offer a pool since the individual units cannot have their own pool.
Typical amenities offered can include:
*
Pool(s)
*A
Community centre or
club house*
Golf course(s)
*Marina
*On-site Dining
*
Playground areas
*
Exercise areas that include exercise machines
*
Spa(s)
*
Sauna(s)
In more recent times, a much larger number of gated communities has rapidly developed in various regions throughout the world, especially in
China,
Mexico,
Brazil and the
United States. Especially in China, the trend towards gated communities is accelerating, in response to changing laws and economics.
In
2000, eight million
U.S. residents lived in gated communities. In many parts of the world, buyers are expressing a preference for gated communities. While many see living in a gated community as offering increased security, they are not impenetrable. Walls are frequently low enough for someone to climb over them. Gates can be bypassed by tailgating cars and, for those willing, access through the sewer system.
In Brazil, the most widespread form of gated community is called "condomÃnio fechado" (closed housing estate) and is the object of desire of the upper classes. Such a place is a small town with its own infrastructure (backup power supply, sanitation and security guards). Some even have schools for the children so that they will only need to leave the community after the first five years of elementary school. The purpose of such a community is to protect its residents from outside violence. The same philosophy is seen on closed buildings and most shopping centres (many of them can only be accessed from inside the parking lot or the garage).
|
An example of a developing South African gated community in the sprawling eastern suburbs of Pretoria. Vacant land cleared within the perimeters stands in stark contrast to the high density housing map. |
In post-apartheid
South Africa gated communities have mushroomed in response to high levels of crime and violent crimes. South African gated communities are broadly classified as "security villages" (large-scale privately developed areas) or "enclosed neighbourhoods". Some of the newest neighbourhoods being developed are virtually entirely comprised of security villages, with a few isolated malls and other essential services (such as hospitals). A common mode of development of the security villages involves staking out a large land claim, developing a high wall surrounding the entire zone, then gradually adding roads and other infrastructure. In part, property developers have adopted this response to counter
squatting, which local residents fear due to associated crime, and which often results in a protracted eviction process. Ironically, crime syndicates have been known to acquire property in some of these security villages to be used as a base for their operations within them.
In
China, all new residential developments are required to be gated. They are popular in southern China, namely the
Pearl River Delta Region. These communities are often purchased by overseas Chinese, Hong Kong Chinese and nouveau-riche local Chinese.
In
Saudi Arabia, gated communities have existed since the discovery of oil, mainly to accommodate Westerners and their families. After threat levels raised since late 1990's against Westerners in general, and Americans in particular, gates have become armed, sometimes heavily, and all vehicles being inspected.
Marksmen and
SANG armored vehicles appeared in certain times, markedly after
recent terrorist attacks in areas nearby, targeting Westerners.
Real estate developers design and build gated communities because buyers want them; the existence of walls and gates around a community enhances the value of the homes located there. Many homeowners prefer to live in gated communities, just as many apartment dwellers prefer secured buildings, not only as a deterrent to crime, but also to enjoy privacy and peace of mind.
Physical walls, in some cases fortified and surveilled, give the inhabitants a sense of security. Some sociologists have criticized the creation of these type of walls as
fortressing and have compared them to historical
fortifications. Opponents of gated communities argue that physical segregation is not always necessary to create
defensible space, that is, to establish control over a particular space. They claim symbolic barriers can be sufficient. Another criticism is that gated communities reduce crime for their residents by increasing it in the surrounding areas: crime is not eliminated, it is simply shifted elsewhere. In addition, bicycle and pedestrian
connectivity are often greatly impaired by gated communities.
Another attribute of gated communities is that, in many cases, their population is homogeneous, that is, grouped along boundaries of
social class,
race/
ethnicity or
culture. "
White flight" is often a factor in this respect, though less so in recent years.
*Lifestyle â€" country clubs, retirement developments.
*Prestige â€" gates used to enhance status.
*Security Zone Communities â€" gates for crime and traffic.
|
Just before approaching Dhahran, one of Aramco's gated communities, all photographing is strictly prohibited. In the background one of Dhahran's main gates can be seen. |
A limited number of gated communities have long been established for foreigners in various regions of the world:
* The worker compounds in the Middle East, built largely for the oil industry.
* Compounds built under
apartheid in South Africa.
* The
closed cities of Russia are also an example of purpose-designed gated communities.
Some of the newest gated communities in China include:
*
Riverside Garden * [[Beijing Riviera (Beijing)|Beijing Riviera]]
*
Oriental Grand Garden (more info) (Pudong District,
Shanghai) The facilities at this gated community include a swimming pool, spa, gym, tennis court, a hair salon, and a 24-hour convenience store.
*
Vanke Garden City (more info) (Wuchang District,
Wuhan) is a new gated community on the southern side of the Wuchang District of
Wuhan City in
Hubei Province, which currently (May 2005) is awaiting its first new occupants. Some residential buildings are still under construction, but most have already been built, with apartments being decorated prior to the new owners moving in. Facilities already up and running include the "Cross Country Jeep Bar" bar/restaurant. Facilities normally expected of such a community are expected to open once the new residents arrive. A similar Vanke development already exists in the northern Hankou area of the city, near the Tian He Airport expressway and the new racecourse.
*
Austin Villa (Panyu) The community consists of row houses, multi storey flats (apartments) and detached homes.
Some of the gated communities in Mexico include:
*
Bajamar (more info),
Baja A gated complex of homes and condominiums, with a view of the Pacific Ocean, centered around a 27-hole golf course.
*
Chula Vista Norte (more info), (San Antonio,
Jalisco) This secure development overlooks Lake Chapala, and offers various sizes of lots on which to build homes.
Examples of gated communities in the United States include
Seagate in
Brooklyn,
New York;
Broadmoor in
Seattle, Washington;
Rossmoor in
Walnut Creek,
California; and
Coto de Caza in
Orange County,
California. Uniquely, there are several incorporated gated cities in Southern California, namely
Bradbury,
Canyon Lake,
Hidden Hills,
Laguna Woods, and
Rolling Hills. To meet legal requirements, the city halls and municipal facilities are public, and private corporations own parks and other facilities within the gates.
The perpetrators of the famous $17 Million Loomis Fargo heist [
1] moved from a mobile home into the gated Cramer Mountain community in a suburb of
Charlotte, North Carolina,
NC following the theft in the hope of keeping the authorities at bay. Consequently, the gang became known as
The Cramer Mountain Hillbillies.Florida is well known for its gated communities:
*
Legacy of Leesburg A nature-based gated community in the heart of Central Florida
* Lakes of Mount Dora
A gated Waterfront Retirement Community located in beautiful Mount Dora where 70% of the lots are waterfront.
In the
United Kingdom, gated communities can usually be found in
London, especially in the
Docklands, such as
New Caledonian Wharf, Kings and Queen Wharf and
Pan Peninsula and
East London, for example
Bow Quarter in
Bow, London.
Lima in
Peru has several gated communities, especially in the wealthy districts of
La Molina and
Santiago de Surco. They are home to many prominent Peruvians.
Brazil also has many gated communities, particularly in
Rio de Janeiro and
São Paulo. For example, one of São Paulo's suburbs,
Tamborei, has at least 6 such compounds known as Tamborei 1, 2, 3, and so on. Each consists of generously spaced detached houses with very little to separate front gardens. Thus many of the city's suburbs resemble wealthy suburbs in North America, Europe and other wealthy countries.
Because of the high crime rate,
Metro Manila in the
Philippines also has a large number of gated and heavily defended communities.
There is an increasing number of gated communities in
Poland.
In
Saudi Arabia, expatriate workers are required to live in
Saudi Aramco controlled gated communities such as
Dhahran, being the largest. Gated communities are also popular with well-to-do Saudis. The largest communities include, in addition to Dhahran,
Ras Tanura,
Abqaiq, and
Udhayliyah.
In the
United Arab Emirates, gated communities have exploded in popularity, particularly in
Dubai, where the 2002 decision to allow foreigners to own freehold properties has resulted in the construction of numerous such communities built along various themes. Examples include The Lakes, Springs, Meadows, and Arabian Ranches.
J.G. Ballard has examined the phenomenon in his novel
Super-Cannes and in his novella
Running Wild.
T. C. Boyle's novel
The Tortilla Curtain is also set in and near a gated community in
California.
Neal Stephenson's novel
Snow Crash depicts a future where gated communities are mass-produced by
franchising systems and operate as
sovereign city-states. The novel
Parable of the Sower by
Octavia Butler takes place in a world where much of civilization lives within gated communities.
*
Intentional community*
Subdivision (land)*
Sample of a Gated Community*
Gate Operators*
USA Today: Gated communities more popular, and not just for the rich*
Renaud Le Goix: Gated communities as an urban pathology?*
The Privatization of Urban Space: Gated Communities - A New Trend in Global Urban Development?*
Land Use and Design Innovations in Private Communities*
China's Transition at a Turning Point*
Forbes: Most Expensive Gated Communities In America 2004 *
Gated Communities*
Gated Golf Communities*
South African Gated Communities
