![Paradisevillagegatedcommunity](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a0/Paradisevillagegatedcommunity.jpg)
A gated community (or walled community) is a form of
residential community
A residential community is a community, usually a small town or city, that is composed mostly of residents, as opposed to commercial businesses and/or industrial facilities, all three of which are considered to be the three main types of occup ...
or
housing estate
A housing estate (or sometimes housing complex or housing development) is a group of homes and other buildings built together as a single development. The exact form may vary from country to country.
Popular throughout the United States a ...
containing strictly controlled entrances for
pedestrian
A pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, whether walking or running. In modern times, the term usually refers to someone walking on a road or pavement, but this was not the case historically.
The meaning of pedestrian is displayed with ...
s,
bicycle
A bicycle, also called a pedal cycle, bike or cycle, is a human-powered or motor-powered assisted, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A is called a cyclist, or bicyclist.
Bic ...
s, and
automobile
A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with Wheel, wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, pe ...
s, and often characterized by a closed perimeter of walls and fences. Historically, cities have built defensive
city walls and controlled gates to protect their inhabitants, and such fortifications have also separated
quarters of some cities. Today, gated communities usually consist of small residential streets and include various shared amenities. For smaller communities, these amenities may include only a park or other
common area
A common area is, in real estate or real property law, the "area which is available for use by more than one person..." The common areas are those that are available for common use by all tenants, (or) groups of tenants and their invitees. . For larger communities, it may be possible for residents to stay within the community for most daily activities. Gated communities are a type of
common interest development, but are distinct from
intentional communities
An intentional community is a voluntary residential community which is designed to have a high degree of social cohesion and teamwork from the start. The members of an intentional community typically hold a common social, political, religious, ...
.
Given that gated communities are spatially a type of
enclave
An enclave is a territory (or a small territory apart of a larger one) that is entirely surrounded by the territory of one other state or entity. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is sometimes used improperly to deno ...
, Setha M. Low, an anthropologist, has argued that they have a negative effect on the net
social capital
Social capital is "the networks of relationships among people who live and work in a particular society, enabling that society to function effectively". It involves the effective functioning of social groups through interpersonal relationships ...
of the broader
community
A community is a social unit (a group of living things) with commonality such as place, norms, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given geographical area (e.g. a country, village, tow ...
outside the gated community. Some gated communities, usually called guard-gated communities, are staffed by private
security guard
A security guard (also known as a security inspector, security officer, or protective agent) is a person employed by a government or private party to protect the employing party's assets (property, people, equipment, money, etc.) from a variety ...
s and are often home to high-value properties, and/or are set up as
retirement villages
Retirement Villages Group Ltd is a British residential property developer. Residents must be aged 55 or over to live in its developments, which are known as "villages". It was acquired by Axa for about £100 million in October 2017.
History
...
. Some gated communities are secure enough to resemble
fortress
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
es and are intended as such.
Features
![Gated community near Ezeiza](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f2/Gated_community_near_Ezeiza.jpg)
Besides the services of
gatekeeper
A gatekeeper is a person who controls access to something, for example via a city gate or bouncer, or more abstractly, controls who is granted access to a category or status. Gatekeepers assess who is "in or out", in the classic words of manage ...
s, many gated communities provide other amenities. These may depend on a number of factors including geographical location, demographic composition, community structure, and community fees collected. When 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 also depend on the type of housing. For example, single-family-home communities may not have a common-area swimming pool, since individual home-owners have the ability to construct their own private pools. A
condominium
A condominium (or condo for short) is an ownership structure whereby a building is divided into several units that are each separately owned, surrounded by common areas that are jointly owned. The term can be applied to the building or complex ...
, on the other hand, may offer a community pool, since the individual units do not have the option of a private pool installation.
Typical amenities offered can include one or more:
*
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, paddling pool, or simply pool, is a structure designed to hold water to enable Human swimming, swimming or other leisure activities. Pools can be built into the ground (in-ground pools) or built ...
s
*
Bowling alleys
Bowling is a target sport and recreational activity in which a player rolls a ball toward pins (in pin bowling) or another target (in target bowling). The term ''bowling'' usually refers to pin bowling (most commonly ten-pin bowling), thoug ...
*
Tennis court
A tennis court is the venue where the sport of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the centre. The same surface can be used to play both doubles and singles matches. A variety of surfaces can be u ...
s
*
Community centre
Community centres, community centers, or community halls are public locations where members of a community tend to gather for group activities, social support, public information, and other purposes. They may sometimes be open for the whole co ...
s or
club
Club may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Club'' (magazine)
* Club, a '' Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character
* Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards
* Club music
* "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album ''kelsea''
Brands and enterprises ...
houses
*
Golf course
A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a tee box, a fairway, the rough and other hazards, and a green with a cylindrical hole in the ground, known as a "cup". Th ...
s
*
Marina
A marina (from Spanish , Portuguese and Italian : ''marina'', "coast" or "shore") is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.
A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships o ...
*
On-site dining
*
Playground
A playground, playpark, or play area is a place designed to provide an environment for children that facilitates play, typically outdoors. While a playground is usually designed for children, some are designed for other age groups, or people ...
s
*
Exercise rooms including
workout machines
*
Spa
A spa is a location where mineral-rich spring water (and sometimes seawater) is used to give medicinal baths. Spa towns or spa resorts (including hot springs resorts) typically offer various health treatments, which are also known as balneoth ...
*
Coworking
Coworking is an arrangement in which workers for different companies share an office space. It allows cost savings and convenience through the use of common infrastructures, such as equipment, utilities and receptionist and custodial services, a ...
spaces
Around the world
![Gated community kinshasa](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/Gated_community_kinshasa.jpg)
In
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
, the most widespread form of gated community is called "''condomínio fechado''" (closed
housing estate
A housing estate (or sometimes housing complex or housing development) is a group of homes and other buildings built together as a single development. The exact form may vary from country to country.
Popular throughout the United States a ...
) and is the object of desire of the upper classes. Such a place is a small town with its own infrastructure (reserve power supply, sanitation, and
security guard
A security guard (also known as a security inspector, security officer, or protective agent) is a person employed by a government or private party to protect the employing party's assets (property, people, equipment, money, etc.) from a variety ...
s). The purpose of such a community is to protect its residents from exterior 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).
In
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
, gated communities are located in big as well as small cities and are considered the standard of high quality living.
Defence Housing Authority
Defence Housing Authority (DHA) ( ur, ). It is a Government of Pakistan owned real-estate development company that governs housing and municipal services for Defence neighbourhoods across Pakistan. It is the first largest residential community in ...
and
Bahria Town
Bahria Town (Private) Limited ( ur, ) is an Islamabad-based privately owned real-estate development company which owns, develops and manages properties across Pakistan.
It established its first gated community exclusively developed for the ...
are major private gated community developers and administrators and one of the largest in the world. The assets of
Bahria Town
Bahria Town (Private) Limited ( ur, ) is an Islamabad-based privately owned real-estate development company which owns, develops and manages properties across Pakistan.
It established its first gated community exclusively developed for the ...
itself are worth $30 billion. Most gated communities in Pakistan have public parks, schools, hospitals, shopping malls, gymnasiums, and country clubs.
In
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
, they are called "''barrios privados''" (literal translation "private neighbourhoods") or just "countries" and are often seen as a symbol of wealth. However, gated communities enjoy dubious social prestige (many members of the middle and upper middle class regard gated community dwellers as ''nouveaux riches'' or snobs
). While most gated communities have only houses, some bigger ones, such as
Nordelta
Nordelta is an affluent city in Tigre Partido, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, about from Capital Federal. It consists of a large gated community made up originally of nine neighborhoods, founded in 1999 and known as the first ciudadpueblo (" ...
,
have their own hospital, school, shopping mall, and more.
In post-apartheid
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
, gated communities have mushroomed in response to high levels of violent crime. They are commonly referred to as "complexes" but also broadly classified as "security villages" (large-scale privately developed areas) or "enclosed neighbourhoods". Some of the newest neighbourhoods being developed are almost entirely composed of security villages, some with malls and few other essential services (such as hospitals). In part, property developers have adopted this response to counter
squatting
Squatting is the action of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied area of land or a building, usually residential, that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have lawful permission to use. The United Nations estimated in 2003 that there ...
, which local residents fear due to associated crime, and which often results in a protracted eviction process.
They are popular in southern China and
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
, where most of the new apartment compounds have 24/7 guards on duty, and for some high-end residences,
facial recognition systems
A facial recognition system is a technology capable of matching a human face from a digital image or a video frame against a database of faces. Such a system is typically employed to authenticate users through ID verification services, and wo ...
to grant residents and
domestic workers
A domestic worker or domestic servant is a person who works within the scope of a residence. The term "domestic service" applies to the equivalent occupational category. In traditional English contexts, such a person was said to be "in service ...
entry into the compound. The most famous of which is
Clifford Estates Clifford may refer to:
People
*Clifford (name), an English given name and surname, includes a list of people with that name
* William Kingdon Clifford
*Baron Clifford
* Baron Clifford of Chudleigh
*Baron de Clifford
* Clifford baronets
*Clifford f ...
in Guangzhou.
In Saudi Arabia, gated communities have existed since the discovery of oil, mainly to accommodate families from Europe or North America. After threat levels increased from the late 1990s on against foreigners in general and U.S. citizens in particular, gates became armed, sometimes heavily, and all vehicles are inspected.
Marksmen
A marksman is a person who is skilled in precision shooting using projectile weapons (in modern days most commonly an accurized scoped long gun such as designated marksman rifle or a sniper rifle) to shoot at high-value targets at longer-than-u ...
and
Saudi Arabian National Guard armored vehicles appeared in certain times, markedly after
recent terrorist attacks in areas near-by, targeting people from European or North American countries.
Gated communities are rare in continental Europe and Japan.
Criticism
![Retreat at Twin Lakes entrance](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/Retreat_at_Twin_Lakes_entrance.jpeg)
Proponents of gated communities (and to a lesser degree, of
cul-de-sacs) maintain that the reduction or exclusion of people who would be only passing through, or more generally, of all non-local people, makes any "stranger" much more recognisable in the closed local environment, and thus reduces crime danger. However, since only a very small proportion of all non-local people passing through the area are potential criminals, increased traffic should increase rather than decrease safety by having more people around whose presence could deter criminal behaviour or who could provide assistance during an incident.
Another criticism is that gated communities offer a false sense of security. Some studies indicate that safety in gated communities may be more illusion than reality and that gated communities in suburban areas of the United States have no less crime than similar non-gated neighbourhoods.
A commentary in ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' specifically blames the gated communities for the
shooting death of Trayvon Martin as the columnist states that "gated communities churn a vicious cycle by attracting like-minded residents who seek shelter from outsiders and whose physical seclusion then worsens paranoid groupthink against outsiders."
In an influential paper, Vanessa Watson includes gated communities within a class of "African urban fantasies": attempts to remake African cities in the vein of Dubai or Singapore. In Watson's analysis, this kind of urban planning prizes exclusionary and self-contained spaces that limit opportunities for interaction between different classes, while worsening marginalization of the urban poor.
A study done by Breetzke, Landman & Cohn (2014) had investigated the effect of gated communities on individual's risk of burglary victimization in South Africa. Results shown that not only are gated communities not able to reduce burglary, but even facilitate criminal activities. For both the gated communities and the areas surrounding them, the densities of burglary were found to be four times higher than that of Tshwane. The crime rates did not decrease in areas that were far away from the gated communities. Also, the high risk of burglaries was found consistent in both daytime and night-time. As this research on the effect of gated communities in South Africa reflects a negative correlation between the use of gated communities and crime prevention, the effectiveness of gated communities is in doubt.
Common economic model types
* Life-style —
country club
A country club is a privately owned club, often with a membership quota and admittance by invitation or sponsorship, that generally offers both a variety of recreational sports and facilities for dining and entertaining. Typical athletic offer ...
s,
retirement developments.
* Prestige — gates for status appeal
*
Physical security
Physical security describes security measures that are designed to deny unauthorized access to facilities, equipment and resources and to protect personnel and property from damage or harm (such as espionage, theft, or terrorist attacks). Physica ...
communities — gates for crime and traffic.
* Purpose-designed communities — catering to foreigners (e.g. worker compounds in Mid-West Asia, built largely for the oil industry)
Comparison to closed cities
The
closed cities
A closed city or closed town is a settlement where travel or residency restrictions are applied so that specific authorization is required to visit or remain overnight. Such places may be sensitive military establishments or secret research ins ...
of Russia are different from the gated communities.
* The guard duty in closed cities is free to residents (paid by taxes).
* The public transport in closed cities may go with transit checkpoints or checking passes/passports at technical stops and available to others outside the security area. Within a gated community in the best cases, the bus stop is opposite the checkpoint; a few offer free buses. Via gated communities buses go due to easement or good will.
* Fares and communal payment in closed cities are often equal (in all cases not greater) if it would be a common city. In gated communities service companies raise non legally fixed tariffs because it is difficult for those communities either to negotiate lower terms or knock out this service company (in most cases the result is no quorum).
Countries
A limited number of gated communities have long been established for foreigners in various countries of the world:
* The worker compounds in the Middle East, built largely for the oil industry.
* The Arbor Oaks
subdivision
Subdivision may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Subdivision (metre), in music
* ''Subdivision'' (film), 2009
* "Subdivision", an episode of ''Prison Break'' (season 2)
* ''Subdivisions'' (EP), by Sinch, 2005
* "Subdivisions" (song), by Rus ...
located in
El Monte, California
}
El Monte (Spanish for "The Mountain") is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The city lies in the San Gabriel Valley, east of the city of Los Angeles.
El Monte's slogan is "Welcome to Friendly El Monte" and is historically ...
, which appears in the film ''
Back to the Future Part II
''Back to the Future Part II'' is a 1989 American science fiction film directed by Robert Zemeckis from a screenplay by Bob Gale and a story by both. It is the sequel to the 1985 film ''Back to the Future'' and the second installment in the ' ...
'' as "Hilldale", is now gated because of the fans coming to see it in person. Residents are sometimes angry at fans who come by the development.
Argentina
There are many gated communities in Argentina, especially in
Greater Buenos Aires
Greater Buenos Aires ( es, Gran Buenos Aires, GBA), also known as the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area ( es, Área Metropolitana de Buenos Aires, AMBA), refers to the urban agglomeration comprising the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires and the adjac ...
, in the suburb of
Pilar, 60 km N of
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
city, and in other suburban areas, such as
Nordelta
Nordelta is an affluent city in Tigre Partido, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, about from Capital Federal. It consists of a large gated community made up originally of nine neighborhoods, founded in 1999 and known as the first ciudadpueblo (" ...
.
Tortugas Country Club was the first gated community developed in Argentina, dating from the 1930s/1940s, but most date from the 1990s, when liberal reforms were consolidated.
Since Buenos Aires has been traditionally regarded as a socially integrated city, gated communities have been the subject of research by sociologists. Gated communities are an important way through middle and upper-class people cope with the high levels of violent criminal activity in Greater Buenos Aires.
Australia
Although gated communities have been rare in Australia, since the 1980s, a few have been built. The most well-known are those at
Hope Island, in particular
Sanctuary Cove
Sanctuary Cove is a gated community and town in the suburb of Hope Island in the City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. It is completely self-contained residential environment with its own shopping centre and entertainment facilities, w ...
, on the
Gold Coast
Gold Coast may refer to:
Places Africa
* Gold Coast (region), in West Africa, which was made up of the following colonies, before being established as the independent nation of Ghana:
** Portuguese Gold Coast (Portuguese, 1482–1642)
** Dutch G ...
of
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
. Other similar projects are being built in the area. In
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
, the first such development is
Sanctuary Lakes, in the local government area of
Wyndham, about 16 km south west of
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
. In
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
, there is
Macquarie Links gated community as well as Southgate Estate gated community. Many Australian gated communities are built within private golf courses.
In the ACT, the only example is Uriarra Village, based around community horse paddocks and dwellings jointly managed through strata title.
Brazil
![Alphaville Barueri SP](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/be/Alphaville_Barueri_SP.jpg)
Brazil also has many gated communities, particularly in the metropolitan regions
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...
and
São Paulo
São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...
. For example, one of São Paulo's suburbs,
Tamboré, has at least 6 such compounds known as Tamboré 1, 2, 3, and so on. Each consists of generously spaced detached houses with very little to separate front gardens.
One of the first large-scale gated community projects in
São Paulo city region was
Barueri
Barueri ( or ) is a Brazilian municipality in the State of São Paulo located in the northwestern part of the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo. The population is 276,982 (2020 est.) in an area of .
Its boundaries are Santana de Parnaíba to th ...
's
Alphaville, planned and constructed during the 1970s
military dictatorship
A military dictatorship is a dictatorship in which the military exerts complete or substantial control over political authority, and the dictator is often a high-ranked military officer.
The reverse situation is to have civilian control of the m ...
when the big cities of Brazil faced steep increases of
car ownership
Car ownership is the ownership of a car. Car ownership typically requires far fewer permits than driving that car on public roads (i.e. driver's license, car insurance, etc.).
History
Levels of ownership have risen significantly since automobile ...
by the middle and higher-classes,
rural exodus
Rural flight (or rural exodus) is the migratory pattern of peoples from rural areas into urban areas. It is urbanization seen from the rural perspective.
In industrializing economies like Britain in the eighteenth century or East Asia in the ...
, poverty, crime,
urban sprawl
Urban sprawl (also known as suburban sprawl or urban encroachment) is defined as "the spreading of urban developments (such as houses and shopping centers) on undeveloped land near a city." Urban sprawl has been described as the unrestricted growt ...
, and downtown
decay
Decay may refer to:
Science and technology
* Bit decay, in computing
* Software decay, in computing
* Distance decay, in geography
* Decay time (fall time), in electronics
Biology
* Decomposition of organic matter
* Tooth decay (dental caries ...
.
Canada
Neighbourhoods with "physical" or explicit gating with security checkpoints and patrols are extremely rare, being absent in even some of Canada's richest neighbourhoods such as
Bridle Path, Toronto. Furthermore, municipal planning laws in many Canadian provinces ban locked gates on public roads as a health issue since they deny emergency vehicles quick access.
A noted exception in Canada is
Arbutus Ridge
Arbutus Ridge is an affluent residential neighbourhood in Vancouver's West Side. It is bordered by 16th Avenue in the north, 41st Avenue in the south, Mackenzie Street in the west, and East Boulevard in the east. The neighbourhood is characterize ...
, an
age-restricted community
An age-restricted community is a residential community, often gated, that legally discriminates on the basis of age to limit residency to a majority fraction of older individuals—typically 80% over a set age. The minimum age is frequently set a ...
constructed between 1988 and 1992 on the southeastern coast of
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are o ...
.
More common in most Canadian neighbourhoods, especially the largest cities, is an implicit or symbolic gating which effectively partitions the private infrastructure and amenities of these communities from their surrounding neighbourhoods. A classic example of this is the affluent
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
suburb of
Mount Royal
Mount Royal (french: link=no, Mont Royal, ) is a large intrusive rock hill or small mountain in the city of Montreal, immediately west of Downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The best-known hypothesis for the origin of the name Montreal is the ...
, which has a long fence running along its side of L'Acadie Boulevard that for all intents and purposes separates the community from the more working-class neighbourhood of
Park Extension
Park Extension (french: Links=no, Parc-Extension) is a neighbourhood in the city of Montréal, Québec. It is located in the borough of Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension and has a population of 33,800 and an area of 1.6 km² (400 acres ...
. Also, many newer suburban subdivisions employ decorative gates to give the impression of exclusivity and seclusion.
China
In China, some of these compounds, like most other gated communities around the world, target the rich. Also many foreigners live in gated communities in
Beijing
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
. Often foreign companies choose the locations where their foreign employees will live, and in most cases, they pay the rent and associated costs (e.g. management fees and garden work).
Similar communities exist in
Shanghai
Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...
, another major Chinese city. Shanghai Links, an exclusive expatriate community enclosing a golf course and the
Pudong
Pudong is a district of Shanghai located east of the Huangpu, the river which flows through central Shanghai. The name ''Pudong'' was originally applied to the Huangpu's east bank, directly across from the west bank or Puxi, the historic city ...
campus of
Shanghai American School
Shanghai American School (SAS) is an independent, Non-profit international school located in Shanghai, China. Founded in 1912, SAS has two campuses and over 2,800 students enrolled in Pre-K through 12th grade, making it China's largest internati ...
, is an example. The Shanghai Links project began in 1994 with the signing by the then Prime Minister of Canada,
Honourable Jean Chretien, of a Memorandum of Agreement with the Shanghai Pudong New Area Government controlled company, Huaxia Tourism Development Company. Other notable gated communities in Shanghai include Seasons Villas, a development by
Hutchinson Whampoa
Hutchison Whampoa Limited (HWL) was an investment holding company based in Hong Kong. It was a Fortune Global 500 company and one of the largest companies listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. HWL was an international corporation with a div ...
; Thomson Golf Villas, and Green Villas.
Other gated communities in China such as those in the
Daxing District
Daxing District () is a district of Beijing, covering the southern suburbs of the city. It borders the Beijing districts of Tongzhou to the east/northeast, Fangshan to the west, Fengtai to the northwest, Chaoyang to the northeast, and the Hebe ...
of Beijing enclose the homes of rural migrants. These are intended to reduce crime and increase public order and safety, which the
Chinese Communist Party
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), officially the Communist Party of China (CPC), is the founding and One-party state, sole ruling party of the China, People's Republic of China (PRC). Under the leadership of Mao Zedong, the CCP emerged victoriou ...
-run ''
People's Daily
The ''People's Daily'' () is the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The newspaper provides direct information on the policies and viewpoints of the CCP. In addition to its main Chinese-language ...
'' claims it has, by 73%. The system is controversial as it segregates migrants and the poor, with some claiming its true purpose is to keep track of migrants, but it is scheduled for implementation in
Changping District
Changping District (), formerly Changping County (), is a district situated in the suburbs of north and northwest Beijing.
History
Changping County and Jundu County which administered the area were established in the Han Dynasty. Changping was i ...
also.
Ecuador
Guayaquil
, motto = Por Guayaquil Independiente en, For Independent Guayaquil
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Ecuador#South America
, pushpin_re ...
and
Quito
Quito (; qu, Kitu), formally San Francisco de Quito, is the capital and largest city of Ecuador, with an estimated population of 2.8 million in its urban area. It is also the capital of the province of Pichincha. Quito is located in a valley o ...
, Ecuador have many gated communities. In the coastal city of Guayaquil, they are mostly located in
Samborondón
Samborondón is a canton in Ecuador’s Guayas province. It has 105 localities and two urban parishes (''La Puntilla'') and Samborondón Town (Cabecera cantonal) and one rural parish (''Tarifa''). La Puntilla's parish is one of the most exclusiv ...
and in Quito in the valleys surrounding the city. They are home mostly for the wealthiest people, but there is a trend, especially in Guayaquil, of houses in gated communities with moderate prices as well.
Egypt
Due to the population boom and an increasing class segregation, gated communities have been more and more established in Egypt since the 1970s.
Greater Cairo
The Greater Cairo Region (GCR; ar, القاهرة الكبرى, Al-Qāhira al-Kubrā) is th an economic region with no administrative body comprising the three governorates of Cairo, Giza and Qalyubia. Within it lies the largest metopolitan are ...
, for example, is home to
El Rehab
El Rehab ( ar, مدينة الرحاب , literal meaning: "City of Spaciousness") is a district of New Cairo and a part of Greater Cairo, in the Cairo Governorate, Egypt. It's a private city built by the Talaat Moustafa Group.
El Rehab ...
and
Dreamland, Mountain View Egypt. There is also
El Maamoura in
Alexandria
Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...
. They were criticized for being a
niche market
A niche market is the subset of the market on which a specific product is focused. The market niche defines the product features aimed at satisfying specific market needs, as well as the price range, production quality and the demographics that it ...
that fails to address the crippling congestion problem in Cairo.
India
In
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, there are many gated neighbourhoods in big cities where most of the upper middle-class and upper-class people live. New Delhi,
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
,
Chennai
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
,
Bangalore
Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...
,
Noida
Noida, short for New Okhla Industrial Development Authority, is a planned city located in Gautam Buddha Nagar district of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Noida is a satellite city of Delhi and is a part of the National Capital Region (NCR) o ...
and the like all have gated communities. Sometimes these communities are separated not just by wealth but also by ethnicity. There are colonies in New Delhi based on profession also like Press Enclave, set up by journalists in the 1970s. Members of a particular ethnicity tend to feel more comfortable living among their own owing to reasons related to common festivals, language, and cuisine. Examples of this are common in New Delhi where there is a strong
Punjabi community. Many gated neighbourhoods are predominantly Punjabi and there have been cases of discrimination against members of other ethnic backgrounds living in those villas. As in neighbouring countries, the target for these housing societies seem to be upper-middle or upper class citizens.
Caste
Caste is a form of social stratification characterised by endogamy, hereditary transmission of a style of life which often includes an occupation, ritual status in a hierarchy, and customary social interaction and exclusion based on cultura ...
and religious discrimination is prevalent in the real estate industry. Nonetheless, non-residential Indians (foreigners of Indian origin) are very interested in gated housing.
Indonesia
In Indonesia, some gated communities are luxurious (with up to 740 square metres (8000 sq ft)), and some are very affordable (with lots ranging from 40 to 120 square metres). From 2000, most of the new residential areas built by private developers are mostly composed of gated communities. Examples include the residential areas of
Bumi Serpong Damai
BSD City, formerly referred to Bumi Serpong Damai is a planned community located within Greater Jakarta in Indonesia. The project was initiated in 1984 by a group of private developers and started in 1989. The town is currently managed by the ho ...
in
South Tangerang
South Tangerang is a city in the province of Banten, Indonesia. Located on the southwestern border of Jakarta, the city forms part of the Greater Jakarta metropolitan area. It was administratively separated from Tangerang Regency on November 2 ...
, Tropicana Residence Community in
Tangerang City
Tangerang ( Sundanese: , ) is a city in the province of Banten, Indonesia. Located on the western border of Jakarta, it is the third largest urban centre in the Greater Jakarta metropolitan area after Jakarta and Bekasi; the sixth largest city p ...
, Telaga Golf Sawangan and Pesona Khayangan in
Depok en, Starfruit City
, motto =
''Pariraca Darma''(Servant of the righteousness)
, image_map = Map of West Java highlighting Depok City.svg
, mapsize =
, map_caption ...
, and
Sentul City in
Bogor Regency
Bogor Regency (Indonesian: ''Kabupaten Bogor'') is a landlocked regency (''kabupaten'') of West Java, Indonesia, south of DKI Jakarta. Covering an area of 2,986.20 km2, it is considered a bedroom community for Jakarta, and was home to 5,4 ...
. Gated communities in Indonesia still allow outsiders to use some of the facilities inside the community because there is a regulation that the social facilities in the residential development should be handed to the local government to be used by the public.
Italy
Two examples of gated community in Italy are
Olgiata in
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
and the village of
Roccamare
Roccamare is a village in Tuscany, central Italy, administratively a frazione of the comune of Castiglione della Pescaia, province of Grosseto. At the time of the 2001 census its population amounted to 107.
Geography
Roccamare is about 25  ...
, in
Castiglione della Pescaia
Castiglione della Pescaia (), regionally simply abbreviated as Castiglione, is an ancient seaside town in the province of Grosseto, in Tuscany, central Italy. The modern city grew around a medieval 12th century fortress ( it, castello) and a large ...
,
Tuscany
Tuscany ( ; it, Toscana ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (''Firenze'').
Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, art ...
.
Lebanon
Because of the pollution, the lack of proper infrastructure, electrical power and green spaces in residential areas outside of
Beirut
Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...
, the high class society chooses to reside in gated communities for a better living environment.
Gated communities in Lebanon are mainly in the suburbs of the capital city
Beirut
Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...
.
Malaysia
In Malaysia, these are known as Gated and Guarded Communities and have been seeing a steady increase in popularity. Currently, according to the Town and Country Planning Department, there are four types of gated communities in Malaysia, namely:
# Elite community: this type of gated community is primarily occupied by the upper-class or high-income group of people. It focuses on exclusion and status in which security is one of the major concerns due to the resident's status within the community.
# Lifestyle community: the lifestyle community generally consists of retirement communities, leisure communities and suburban 'new towns'. Activities inside these communities can include golf courses, horseback riding and residents-oriented leisure activities.
# Security zone community: the security zone community is the most popular type of gated community in which it offers a housing development that is surrounded by fences or gates. This development is normally provided with guard services.
# Security zone community and lifestyle: this type of gated community housing development is usually developed within a city centre. It focuses on both the security aspect and the provision of lifestyle facilities for its residents.
The gated community is a concept that emerged in response to the rise of safety and security issues, and offers more advantages in terms of a calm environment and enhanced safety that is ideal for family development.
Mauritius
Several gated communities now exist on the island of
Mauritius
Mauritius ( ; french: Maurice, link=no ; mfe, label=Mauritian Creole, Moris ), officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about off the southeast coast of the African continent, east of Madagascar. It incl ...
since the government introduced Integrated Resort Schemes (IRS) and Real Estate Schemes (RES) in the mid-1990s. Recently they have been amalgamated into Property Development Schemes (PDS). The government also introduced Smart City permits and in 2016 it secured the assistance of Saudi Arabia to launch the government's version of a gated Smart City known as Heritage City Project which was proposed at Minissy, in the region of Ebène, with the assistance of Saudi Arabia.
Mexico
Gated communities in Mexico are a result of the huge income gap existing in the country. A 2008 study found that the average income in an urban area of Mexico was $26,654, a rate higher than advanced regions like Spain or Greece while the average income in rural areas (sometimes just a short distance away) was only $8,403. This close a proximity of wealth and poverty has created a large security risk for Mexico's middle class. Gated communities can be found in virtually every medium and large-sized city in Mexico with the largest found in major cities, such as
Monterrey
Monterrey ( , ) is the capital and largest city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León, Mexico, and the third largest city in Mexico behind Guadalajara and Mexico City. Located at the foothills of the Sierra Madre Oriental, the city is anchor ...
,
Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
or
Guadalajara
Guadalajara ( , ) is a metropolis in western Mexico and the capital of the list of states of Mexico, state of Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population of 1,385,629 people, making it the 7th largest city by population in Me ...
.
Luxury or "status" gated communities are very popular with middle to high income residents in Mexico. Gated luxury communities in Mexico are considerably cheaper than in countries such as the United States while retaining houses of similar size and quality due to the commonness of the communities and the lower cost to build them and are priced lower to attract middle class residents.
Many gated communities in Mexico have fully independent and self-contained infrastructure, such as schools, water and power facilities, security and fire forces, and medical facilities. Some of the larger gated communities even retain their own school districts and police departments. The
Interlomas
Interlomas is an exclusive residential and commercial area in State of Mexico, Mexico, located west of Mexico City's historic center and about north of the Santa Fe edge city. Interlomas is a high class zone, compound by various colonies (nei ...
area of Mexico City contains hundreds of gated communities and is the largest concentration of gated communities in the world, stretching over . The surrounding areas of Santa Fe, Bosques-Lomas, Interlomas-Bosque Real, are also made up predominantly of gated communities and span over 30% of
Greater Mexico City
Greater Mexico City refers to the conurbation around Mexico City, officially called Metropolitan Area of the Valley of Mexico ( es, Zona metropolitana del Valle de México). It encompasses Mexico City itself and 60 adjacent municipalities of the S ...
.
Many smaller gated communities in Mexico are not officially classified as separate gated communities as many municipal rules prohibit closed off roads. Most of these small neighbourhoods cater to lower middle income residents and offer a close perimeter and check points similar to an "authentic" gated community. This situation is tolerated and sometimes even promoted by some city governments due to the lack of capacity to provide reliable and trusted security forces.
New Zealand
In
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
, gated communities have been developed in suburban areas of the main cities since the 1980s and 1990s.
Pakistan
![Bahria Town Karachi Grand Mosque 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/Bahria_Town_Karachi_Grand_Mosque_2.jpg)
Pakistan has a very large number of gated communities, most of which target
middle class
The middle class refers to a class of people in the middle of a social hierarchy, often defined by occupation, income, education, or social status. The term has historically been associated with modernity, capitalism and political debate. Com ...
Pakistanis. The largest being
Bahria Town
Bahria Town (Private) Limited ( ur, ) is an Islamabad-based privately owned real-estate development company which owns, develops and manages properties across Pakistan.
It established its first gated community exclusively developed for the ...
, which is also the largest in
Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...
and has communities in major cities.
Defence Housing Authority
Defence Housing Authority (DHA) ( ur, ). It is a Government of Pakistan owned real-estate development company that governs housing and municipal services for Defence neighbourhoods across Pakistan. It is the first largest residential community in ...
is also a major developer of gated communities.
Others include
WAPDA Town
WAPDA Town ( ur, , ') is a residential neighborhood or a Housing Society located within union council 255 (Wapda Town) in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. It is now considered as one of the most expensive and upscale residential Societies of the cit ...
, Gulberg, Islamabad and
Schon Properties, while
Emaar Properties
Emaar Properties (Emaar Developments or simply Emaar) is an Emirati multinational real estate development company located in the United Arab Emirates. It is a public joint-stock company, listed on the Dubai Financial Market, and has a valuation o ...
also maintains several gated communities in the country targeting primarily
upper class
Upper class in modern societies is the social class composed of people who hold the highest social status, usually are the wealthiest members of class society, and wield the greatest political power. According to this view, the upper class is gen ...
people. Gated communities in Pakistan are mostly immune from problems of law enforcement and lack of energy faced by the majority of the other housing societies. In a short time, the property prices in such communities have greatly increased – in 2007 a 20-square-meter house in
Bahria Town
Bahria Town (Private) Limited ( ur, ) is an Islamabad-based privately owned real-estate development company which owns, develops and manages properties across Pakistan.
It established its first gated community exclusively developed for the ...
,
Lahore
Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...
cost around four million Pakistani rupees ($40,000); a similar property in 2012 costed nine million rupees, while houses are priced around 100-300 million rupees. The Bahria Town of Karachi is currently constructing Rafi Cricket Stadium, when completed will be the largest stadium in the country and Grand Jamia Mosque, when completed will be the largest in South Asia and third-largest in the world.
Peru
Lima
Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of t ...
,
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal
, national_motto = "Fi ...
has several gated communities, especially in the wealthy districts of
La Molina and
Santiago de Surco
Santiago de Surco, commonly known simply as Surco, is a district of Lima, Peru. It is bordered on the north with the district of Ate Vitarte and La Molina; on the east with San Juan de Miraflores, on the west with San Borja, Surquillo, Mirafl ...
. They are home to many prominent Peruvians.
Philippines
![2019 Makati (47663501762)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6e/2019_Makati_%2847663501762%29.jpg)
The
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
has a large number of gated communities which are known in
Philippine English
Philippine English (similar and related to American English) is any variety of English native to the Philippines, including those used by the media and the vast majority of educated Filipinos and English learners in the Philippines from adjac ...
as "subdivisions" or "villages". Gated communities represent one of the main residency types for upper and middle class Filipinos up and down the country, along with condominiums.
Regardless of their names, such communities may either form part of a larger
barangay
A barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as barrio (abbreviated as Bo.), is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district, or ward. In metropolitan ...
(village), or constitute a single barangay in and of themselves. Gated communities are often grouped by the phase of build, or by project number, and homes within these communities are designated with a
lot and block number on a street as opposed to conventional house numbers or building names. Gated communities are divided between two types:
# Executive subdivisions/villages: Along with condominiums, these are the residential neighbourhoods of the wealthiest in Philippine society. Examples of these include
Bel-Air, Greenwoods Executive Villages, Magallanes village,
Dasmarinas Village and
Ayala Alabang
Ayala Alabang, in terms of land area, is the third largest barangay in Muntinlupa, Metro Manila, Philippines. A large portion of it came from Barangay Alabang. Its land area of includes Alabang Town Center, Ayala Alabang Village, El Molito, Ma ...
village.
# Subdivisions/villages: Gated communities targeted to the Philippine middle classes. These may begin with a name and end with a number E.g. "Kalayaan Village 3", the 3 designating that it is the third subdivision project for the land development company under the "Kalayaan" homes project. Examples of subdivisions include
BF Homes, Camella Homes, among a majority of wealthier suburban areas.
Russia
Aerobus live complex is the ''de facto'' first gated community in Moscow. Business center is in this complex but outside the residential area.
Potapovo (known as New Moscow, but developed with North Butovo to RAS members) - known as fenced Kommunarka-Butovo road between 1994-2000 and Moscow had to build another road. Service company has bus license and guard wearing uniform is always in a bus (not usual even in strict restricted acsess). Later they opened trade center but neither allowed to cut the corner or use 2 entrances (from northbound). Fence lowers effectiveness of bus routes and direct or loop extension of line 12. This area set to order bus on demand but paxes ordered to walk outside.
''
Ozero
Ozero (russian: О́зеро, lit. ''lake'') (full name: дачный потребительский кооператив «Озеро», Dacha consumer cooperative "Ozero") is a dacha cooperative associated with Vladimir Putin's inner circl ...
'' is a cooperative formed around
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin; (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who holds the office of president of Russia. Putin has served continuously as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime min ...
's
dacha
A dacha ( rus, дача, p=ˈdatɕə, a=ru-dacha.ogg) is a seasonal or year-round second home, often located in the exurbs of post-Soviet countries, including Russia. A cottage (, ') or shack serving as a family's main or only home, or an outbu ...
on
Lake Komsomolskoe ( fi,
Kiimajärvi),
Priozersky District
Priozersky District (russian: Приозерский район) is an administrativeOblast Law #32-oz and municipalLaw #50-oz district (raion), one of the seventeen in Leningrad Oblast, Russia. It is located in the northwest of the oblast and bor ...
,
Leningrad Oblast
Leningrad Oblast ( rus, Ленинградская область, Leningradskaya oblast’, lʲɪnʲɪnˈgratskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ, , ) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast). It was established on 1 August 1927, a ...
.
Saudi Arabia
In
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
, many expatriate workers are required to live in company-provided housing. After the
2003 attack on Al Hambra, Jadawel, Siyanco and Vinell by militant Saudi dissidents, the government established tight military security for those compounds with large western populations. Many western individuals also reside in the many other gated compounds or non-gated villas and apartments in the cities that they work.
Saudi Aramco provides a compound in
Dhahran
Dhahran ( ar, الظهران, ''Al-Dhahran'') is a city located in the Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. With a total population of 240,742 as of 2021, it is a major administrative center for the Saudi oil industry. Together with the nearby cit ...
which is one of the largest of its kind within Saudi Arabia. Gated communities are also popular with many Saudis, which accounts for the limited availability of open villas in these communities and the premium rent paid for that housing. These compounds can be found in many of Saudi Arabia's cities, including but not limited to Abha, Dhahran, Riyadh, and Taif.
Singapore
Sentosa Cove
Sentosa Cove is a residential enclave in the eastern part of Sentosa Island in Singapore, which is planned to include about 2,500 units when fully expanded. It is largely made up of reclaimed land. The master developer of the site was Sentosa Cove ...
is the only gated residential community in
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
, containing 350 bungalows on a 99-year leasehold term. It is the only landed housing that can be purchased by non-citizens. Despite this, as of 2021, the properties transact at a lower price to comparable areas on the mainland.
South Africa
South Africa has an increasing number of
gated communities
A gated community (or walled community) is a form of residential community or housing estate containing strictly controlled entrances for pedestrians, bicycles, and automobiles, and often characterized by a closed perimeter of walls and fences. ...
, where the wealthy sometimes live in close proximity to the urban poor (yet with little contact between the two).
Thailand
Many housing estates in Thailand take the form of gated communities, targeted to the upper and middle classes. They may be managed by the development company or by resident committees.
Gated communities are often referred to as
mubans in Thailand.
Turkey
Turkey has several gated communities, especially in Istanbul and Ankara. Called "site" in Turkish, they are mostly located around the edge of the city.
United Arab Emirates
In the United Arab Emirates, gated communities have exploded in popularity, particularly in
Dubai
Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...
, 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
Arabian Ranches is an upscale gated villa community in Dubai, United Arab Emirates launched in 2004. Located in Wadi Al Safa 6, along Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Road and in proximity to Dubai's Global Village. It includes the Arabian Ranches Golf ...
.
United Kingdom
![Eriswell Road Burwood Park Estate (geograph 4098483)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/32/Eriswell_Road_Burwood_Park_Estate_%28geograph_4098483%29.jpg)
In the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
, gated communities are relatively rare. In 2004 there were an estimated 1,000 such communities in
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
(i.e. not including
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
,
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
and
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
).
As of 2002, the majority of these communities were found to be in the
South East
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each se ...
and most were small developments; only four
local authorities
Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-loca ...
had one or more gated communities with over 300 dwellings.
They generally consisted of a gated street of up to 60 or 100 houses, or a single block of flats.
The bulk of gated communities in the United Kingdom have been constructed by private developers, with smaller proportions built by social landlords and through
public-private partnerships.
Research has found that they typically exist within surrounding areas that are also highly affluent, if not necessarily gated.
It has been noted that as far as buyer motivation is concerned, issues of security, exclusivity and prestige were often subsumed by a desire to obtain property that would
maintain its value. Although the appeal of these communities is said to be mainly be to "
young affluent singles" and older couples, this varies significantly according to location and the availability of accommodation types. Unlike in America, marketing materials rarely refer to any community aspect of living in a gated development.
![The Drive Brockhall Village - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/The_Drive_Brockhall_Village_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1372452.jpg)
There is "considerable diversity in terms of the built form" of gated communities. In London, many new-build and converted spaces that have been turned into gated communities consist largely of flats and are therefore unlikely to be suitable for families.
The redevelopment of these inner city sites for "secure, upscale, condominium-style housing in central London" was partly fuelled by a cultural shift among young professionals towards "loft-living" in the city centre. Examples from London include the
Docklands developments of
New Caledonian Wharf, Kings and Queen Wharf and
Pan Peninsula
Pan Peninsula, also known as 1 Millharbour, is a residential development on the Isle of Dogs, London located near South Quay DLR station. Pan Peninsula is one of several high-rise residential developments that have been constructed on the Isle o ...
, and
East London locations like the
Bow Quarter
Bow Quarter is a gated community in Bow, London, Bow in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The building was originally the Bryant and May match factory, and was the site of the London matchgirls strike of 1888, Match Girls' strike in the 1880s. ...
in
Bow.
Outside London, gated communities tend to be more spacious. The most prestigious gated communities, or "private estates", are generally seen as being those around the fringes of London; these include the large estates at
St George's Hill and
Wentworth Wentworth may refer to:
People
* Wentworth (surname)
* Judith Blunt-Lytton, 16th Baroness Wentworth (1873–1957), Lady Wentworth, notable Arabian horse breeder
* S. Wentworth Horton (1885–1960), New York state senator
* Wentworth Miller (born 1 ...
, both of which are in
Surrey
Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...
. In general, there is a heavy concentration around Surrey's
Cobham-
Esher
Esher ( ) is a town in Surrey, England, to the east of the River Mole.
Esher is an outlying suburb of London near the London-Surrey Border, and with Esher Commons at its southern end, the town marks one limit of the Greater London Built-Up ...
-
Weybridge
Weybridge () is a town in the Borough of Elmbridge in Surrey, England, around southwest of central London. The settlement is recorded as ''Waigebrugge'' and ''Weibrugge'' in the 7th century and the name derives from a crossing point of the ...
triangle – examples are
Burwood Park
Burwood Park is an historic private estate located in Hersham, Surrey, England. Spanning six miles of road, Burwood Park is situated in a former deer park that belonged to Henry VIII. The 360 acre estate is known both for its extensive wildli ...
and Kingswood Warren, while Blackhills and Clare Hill represent smaller competitors with somewhat lower property values. In suburban
Kent
Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
,
Keston Park and Farnborough Park are most notable.
United States
![NavalSquare](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/43/NavalSquare.jpg)
The earliest American gated communities date to the 1850s, though it was in the early 1900s when they first began to proliferate.
Most communities are today located in the
Sun Belt region in the South and West, where there is more land available for development.
They are usually developed privately and for this reason it is difficult to determine the total number. Although they are often unincorporated, there are numerous
incorporated gated cities in
Southern California
Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most po ...
, namely
Bradbury,
Canyon Lake,
Hidden Hills
''Hidden Hills'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on NBC from September 24, 2002 to January 21, 2003, during the 2002 fall line up. Based on the book ''Surviving Suburbia'', the series was created by Peter Segal and Ric Swart ...
,
Laguna Woods
Laguna Woods (''Laguna'', Spanish for "Lagoon") is a city in Orange County, California, United States. The population was 16,192 at the 2010 census, down from 16,507 at the 2000 census, with a median age of 78.
Laguna Woods became Orange Count ...
, and
Rolling Hills.
In 2002, ''
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'' reported that approximately 40% of new builds in California were behind walls. By 1997, an estimated 20,000 gated communities had been built across the country. That year, estimates of the number of people in gated communities ranged from 4 million in 30,000 communities up to around 8 million. This growth continued and by 2009 figures from the
American Housing Survey
The American Housing Survey (AHS) is a statistical survey funded by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. It is the largest regular national housing sample survey in the United ...
indicated that the number of people living in gated communities had risen to 11 million households.
Setha Low
Setha M. Low (born March 14, 1948) is a former president of the American Anthropological Association, a professor in environmental psychology, and the director of the Public Space Research Group at the City University of New York. Low also serve ...
, a psychologist who has studied gated communities and their residents, suggested this was likely an underestimate.
![Brickell Key from north 20100211](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/Brickell_Key_from_north_20100211.jpg)
The notion that gated communities in the United States are "bastions of affluence" has been challenged by academic research. A 2005 study published in the ''
Journal of Planning Education and Research'' revealed they often contain both owner-occupied and renter-occupied properties and that socioeconomic status and income levels can vary significantly across communities. Criminologists Nicholas Branic and
Charis Kubrin have argued that the "affluent, high socioeconomic status gated communities" of popular imagination in fact represent just one type of gated community.
Ed Blakely
Edward James Blakely (born 1938), for most his career, was a Professor of Urban Planning at the University of California at Berkeley. In 1994, he retired as a leading scholar in the field with award winning books. He is known primarily for having ...
distinguishes between "prestige communities" of the rich and socially distinguished and "security zones", in which safety is the main goal. Nevertheless, much of the literature points to gated communities as contributing to greater social seclusion and segregation. Common motivations for moving into them are fear of crime and a
desire to escape demographic change — gated communities are generally
ethnically homogenous. Alternatively, a 2015 ''
Urban Studies
Urban studies is based on the study of the urban development of cities. This includes studying the history of city development from an architectural point of view, to the impact of urban design on community development efforts. The core theoretica ...
'' article argued that while gated communities in the southwestern United States entrenched social segregation, no effect was present for racial segregation, as the streets they bordered tended to already be segregated on a racial level.
Uruguay
![Puente americas canelones](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bd/Puente_americas_canelones.jpg)
Gated communities in
Uruguay
Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...
are known locally as 'barrios privados' or private neighbourhoods.
There is no official data on how widespread gated communities in Uruguay are, but by 2013 at least 20 were known to exist in the
Maldonado Department
The Maldonado Department ( es, Departamento de Maldonado; ), with an area of and 164,300 inhabitants (2011), is located to the southeast of Uruguay. Its capital is Maldonado.
Geography and climate
Neighbouring departments are Rocha to the Eas ...
, seven in the
Canelones Department
The Departamento de Canelones ( es, Departamento de Canelones; ) is one of the 19 uruguayan departments. With an area of and 518,154 inhabitants, it is located in the south of Uruguay. Its capital is Canelones.
Geography and climate
Neighbou ...
, seven in
Rocha Rocha may refer to:
* Rocha (surname), a Portuguese surname
* Rocha, Moca, Puerto Rico, a barrio in the municipality of Moca, Puerto Rico
* Rocha, Rio de Janeiro, a neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
* Rocha, Uruguay, capital city of the Rocha ...
, one in
Soriano, and two in
Rio Negro.
Gated communities had experienced "huge growth" by 2020, and were a popular choice for foreigners with families, although rental returns are reportedly low and the properties will not necessarily appreciate in value. While socially exclusive areas exist in the capital
Montevideo
Montevideo () is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Uruguay, largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2011 census, the city proper has a population of 1,319,108 (about one-third of the country's total population) in an area of . M ...
, such as the
Carrasco barrio
''Barrio'' () is a Spanish language, Spanish word that means "Quarter (urban subdivision), quarter" or "neighborhood". In the modern Spanish language, it is generally defined as each area of a city, usually delimited by functional (e.g. residenti ...
, the closing of streets is not permitted and attempts to build gated communities within the city limits have been refused.
Contrary to what might be assumed, research has found that gated communities in this country do not increase residential segregation as they select for affluent people who already experience
a high degree of segregation. These residents tend to be a very homogenous group in age, family stage, and social class. La Tahona and Carmel are two of the most prominent gated communities located just outside Montevideo in the Canelones Department and nearby to the
Zonamerica business park and
Carrasco International Airport
Carrasco/General Cesáreo L. Berisso International Airport is the main international airport of Uruguay. It is the country's largest airport and is located in the Carrasco, Montevideo, Carrasco neighborhood of Montevideo. It has been cited as ...
.
La Tahona and Carmel both adjoin Camino de los Horneros, a road immediately north of
Ciudad de la Costa
Ciudad de la Costa is a city in Canelones Department of Uruguay, on the banks of the Río de la Plata between the streams Arroyo Carrasco and Arroyo Pando. It is considered an extension of the metropolitan area of Montevideo which it borders to th ...
that connects to multiple gated communities with 2000 homes in total, though these numbers are expected to eventually treble.
Numerous gated communities have also been constructed in
Punta Del Este
Punta del Este () is a seaside city and peninsula on the Atlantic Coast in the Maldonado Department of southeastern Uruguay. Starting as a small town, Punta del Este later became internationally known as a resort for the Latin and North American j ...
.
Demand for gated communities in Uruguay has increased in recent years due to the growing availability of remote working, and amenities like swimming pools can be found more often than in Montevideo. They have also become more accessible to the professional middle class as pre-designed new builds have become common, as opposed to the older model of requiring individual owners to buy a plot and then hire their own builder. The resulting economies of scale have helped to keep average prices lower than they otherwise would be.
In popular media
In comics
* Early in ''The Walking Dead (comic book), The Walking Dead'' comic book series, Rick Grimes attempts to settle in a gated condominium neighbourhood. This move proves disastrous as one of the group members is killed after the survivors realize the neighbourhood is infested with zombies.
In film
* John Duigan's ''Lawn Dogs'' (1997), starring Mischa Barton and Sam Rockwell, films a young girl from a gated community who befriends a landscape worker, and examines the societal repercussions of their friendship.
* Mexican film ''La Zona (2007), La Zona'', directed by Rodrigo Plá, talks about a gated community invaded by a group of very young and poor children.
* In the ABC Family movie ''Picture This (film), Picture This'' starring Ashley Tisdale, Drew lives in a gated community called Camelot.
* In the Spanish movie ''Secuestrados'', kidnappers take the daughter of a family living in an allegedly secure gated community.
* In the 2007 animated movie ''Alvin and the Chipmunks (film), Alvin and the Chipmunks'', the chipmunks and their guardian David Seville, Dave Seville live in a gated community.
* In the 2022 film ''Cheaper by the Dozen (2022 film), Cheaper by the Dozen'', the Baker family relocated from Los Angeles to a gated community in Calabasas, California where they moved into a larger house there to accommodate their large family. By the end of the film, the Baker family move back to Los Angeles.
In games
* ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' has a gated community called Beachgate, a fictional rendition of Sea Gate, Brooklyn. It includes the home of early antagonist Mikhail Faustin.
In literature
(Alphabetical by author's last name)
* In Margaret Atwood's novel ''Oryx and Crake'', the characters Snowman and Crake live and work in corporate-owned gated communities known as compounds.
* J. G. Ballard, J.G. Ballard has examined the phenomenon in his novella ''Running Wild (novella), Running Wild'' (1988) and in his novel ''Super-Cannes'' (2000).
* T. C. Boyle, T.C. Boyle's novel ''The Tortilla Curtain'' (1995) is set in and near a gated community in California.
* The novel ''Parable of the Sower (novel), Parable of the Sower'', by Octavia Butler, takes place in a world where much of civilization lives within gated communities.
* In the novel ''I Will Fear No Evil'' by Robert A. Heinlein, the wealthiest citizens shelter from urban poverty inside fortress-like guarded gated communities.
* Ira Levin's novel ''The Stepford Wives'' (1972) takes place inside an idyllic gated community that secretly enslaves its female members to conform to the standards of the men.
* In the ''Percy Jackson & the Olympians'' and ''The Heroes of Olympus'' series by Rick Riordan, Elysium is depicted as a gated community from which one could hear laughter and smell barbecue cooking. Besides having the Isle of the Blessed in the center of a large lake there, Elysium has neighbourhoods of beautiful houses from every time period in history such as Roman villas, medieval castles, and Victorian mansions. It also has flowers of silver and gold blooming on the lawns and grass rippling in rainbow colors.
* In Mexico, Fernanda Melchor's third novel ''Paradais'' tells the crime committed by two teenagers inside a Mexican gated community of Veracruz, hometown of Melchor.
* In Argentina, Claudia Piñeiro's ''Las viudas de los jueves'' (''Thursday Widows'') became a local bestseller after winning the 2005 edition of ''Clarín (Argentine newspaper), El Clarín'' newspaper book award.
The novel depicts life of dwellers of a gated community, among them, families who enjoyed high incomes now facing economic hardships.
* In Egypt, Ahmed Khaled Towfik's novel ''Utopia (Towfik novel), Utopia'' takes readers on a chilling journey beyond the gated communities of the North Coast where the wealthy are insulated from the bleakness of life outside the walls.
* In the novel ''Snow Crash'' (1992) by Neal Stephenson, gated communities have evolved into "burbclaves" (suburban enclaves) which are effectively sovereign city-states.
In songs
* In "Versace (song), Versace", Drake (rapper), Drake says: "This is a gated community please get the fuck off the property"–referring to the gated community of
Hidden Hills
''Hidden Hills'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on NBC from September 24, 2002 to January 21, 2003, during the 2002 fall line up. Based on the book ''Surviving Suburbia'', the series was created by Peter Segal and Ric Swart ...
, California.
In television
* In the Season Six episode of ''The X-Files'' entitled "Arcadia (The X-Files), Arcadia", Mulder and Scully investigate disappearances within a gated community that seems to be harboring a terrible secret involving a Tulpa.
* In the cartoon ''As Told By Ginger'', the Griplings reside in Protective Pines.
* In the ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' episode "Squidville", Squidward Tentacles temporarily moves to a gated community of squids to get away from SpongeBob SquarePants and Patrick Star.
* The Bravo (US TV network), Bravo network reality television series ''The Real Housewives of Orange County'' was initially set primarily in the gated community of Coto de Caza, California ("Coto") and followed the lavish livestyles of "homemakers, housewives" and their families who resided within Coto. One housewife, Lauri Waring, who lived in a Ladera Ranch townhouse, was the exception-to-the-rule that was used as a foil to the extravagant lifestyle of the other four housewives, who lived "behind the Coto gates".
* Most of ''The Starter Wife (miniseries), The Starter Wife'' miniseries is set within the gated community where the main character's friend lives. She even becomes friends with the security guard at the front gate.
* The pilot episode of the 2002 revival of ''The Twilight Zone (2002 TV series), The Twilight Zone'' titled "Evergreen (The Twilight Zone), Evergreen" deals with a gated community called Evergreen Estates which has a sinister way of dealing with nonconformity that involves rebellious children committing those acts being taken to "Arcadia Fertilizer Company" where they are executed and made into red fertilizer for the small trees in front of the houses there.
* In one episode of ''VeggieTales'' (''Sherlock Holmes and the Golden Ruler''), Larry sings a song about gated communities in Silly Songs with Larry.
* In seasons 1-3 of ''Weeds (TV series), Weeds'', Nancy Botwin and her family inhabit the gated community of Agrestic.
* In ''The Neighbors (2012 TV series), The Neighbors'', a 2012 TV series in the United States, a family has relocated to a gated townhouse community called "Hidden Hills" in New Jersey only they discover that the entire community is populated by Extraterrestrial life, residents from another planet who identify themselves by the names of sport celebrities, patrol the community in golf carts, receive nourishment through their eyes and mind by reading books rather than eating, and cry green goo from their ears.
* In ''Safe (TV series), Safe'', a Netflix original series, it tells the mystery in and around a gated community.
* In the short-lived TV series ''The Gates (TV series), The Gates'', Nick Monohan and his family move from Chicago to a quiet, upscale planned community called The Gates where he will be its chief of police. They soon realize that their neighbors are not who they seem to be. The Gates is filled with such beings as vampires, witches, werewolves, and a succubus.
See also
* Age-restricted community
* Barracks
* Castle
* Closed city
* Closed community
* Condominium
* Defensive wall
* Fortification, Fort
* Homeowners association
* Peace lines
* Planned unit development
* Private community
References
Further reading
* Arizaga, Maria Cecilia: El Mito de comunidad en la Ciudad Mundializada.
* [Arizaga, Maria Cecilia: Murallas y barrios cerrados, La morfología espacial del ajuste en Buenos Aires. Nueva Sociedad, 166, 2000 http://www.nuso.org/upload/articulos/2836_1.pdf ]
* Blakely, Edward J. and Mary Gail Snyder
Fortress America: Gated Communities in the United States Brookings Institution Press, New Ed edition (15 June 1999);
* Gasior-Niemiec, Anna; Glasze, Georg and Pütz, Robert (2009): A Glimpse over the Rising Walls: The Reflection of Post-Communist Transformation in the Polish Discourse of Gated Communities. In: East European Politics & Societies 23 (2009) 2: 244–265
* Glasze, Georg, Chris Webster and Klaus Frantz (2006): "Introduction: global and local perspectives on the rise of private neighbourhoods". In: Georg Glasze, Chris Webster and Klaus Frantz (Eds.): ''Private Cities: Global and Local Perspectives''. Routledge. London und New York: 1–8
* Glasze, Georg (2003): ''Private Neighbourhoods as Club Economies and Shareholder Democracies''. – In: BelGeo 1/2003 Theme Issue "Privatization of Urban Spaces in Contemporary European Cities": 87-9
*Libertun de Duren, Nora. "Planning à la Carte: The location patterns of gated communities around Buenos Aires in a decentralized planning context". ''International Journal of Urban and Regional Research'' 30.2 (2006): 308–327.
* Low, Setha M: Behind the Gates: Life, Security and the Pursuit of Happiness in Fortress America. Routledge: New York and London: 2003.
* Webster, Chris, Georg Glasze und Klaus Frantz (2002): "The global spread of gated communities". In: ''Environment and Planning'' B 29 (2002) 3: 315-320
External links
Built Metaphors: Gated Communities and Fiction, by Stéphane Degoutin and Gwenola WagonGated communities as an urban pathology?, by Renaud Le Goix* [https://web.archive.org/web/20041101130457/http://www.lincolninst.edu/pubs/pub-detail.asp?id=971 Land Use and Design Innovations in Private Communities]
China's Transition at a Turning PointFortress Bulgaria: gated communities* Max Zirzow, Fran Espinoza and Jonas Janssen. 2012
InterAmerican Wiki: Terms - Concepts - Critical Perspectives.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gated Community
Access control
Types of communities
Gated communities,
Security engineering
Human habitats