Gated community - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

In its modern form, a gated community is a form of residential community

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 occupants of the typical community.Residential communities...

or housing estate

Housing estate

A housing estate is a group of buildings built together as a single development. The exact form may vary from country to country. Accordingly, a housing estate is usually built by a single contractor, with only a few styles of house or building design, so they tend to be uniform in appearance...

containing strictly-controlled entrances for pedestrian

Pedestrian

A pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, whether walking or running. In some communities, those traveling using roller skates or skateboards are also considered to be pedestrians. In modern times, the term mostly refers to someone walking on a road or footpath, but this was not the case...

s, bicycle

Bicycle

A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....

s, and automobile

Automobile

An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...

s, and often characterized by a closed perimeter of walls and fences. Gated communities usually consist of small residential streets and include various shared amenities. For smaller communities this may be only a park or other common area

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 "within a building that are available for common use by all tenants, groups of tenants and their invitees." In Texas and other parts of the United...

. 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 development, but are distinct from intentional communities

Intentional community

An intentional community is a planned residential community designed to have a much higher degree of teamwork than other communities. The members of an intentional community typically hold a common social, political, religious, or spiritual vision and often follow an alternative lifestyle. They...

. In countries with a low Human Development Index

Human Development Index

The Human Development Index is a composite statistic used to rank countries by level of "human development" and separate "very high human development", "high human development", "medium human development", and "low human development" countries...

and/or high Gini coefficient

Gini coefficient

The Gini coefficient is a measure of statistical dispersion developed by the Italian statistician and sociologist Corrado Gini and published in his 1912 paper "Variability and Mutability" ....

, gated communities attempt to provide security to the upper class as well as expatriates.

Given that gated communities are spatially a type of enclave, Setha M. Low, among other anthropologists, has argued that they have a negative effect on the overall social capital

Social capital

Social capital is a sociological concept, which refers to connections within and between social networks. The concept of social capital highlights the value of social relations and the role of cooperation and confidence to get collective or economic results. The term social capital is frequently...

of the broader community

Community

The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...

outside the gated community.

Some gated communities, usually called guard-gated communities, are staffed by private security guard

Security guard

A security guard is a person who is paid to protect property, assets, or people. Security guards are usually privately and formally employed personnel...

s and are often home to high-value properties, and/or are set up as retirement villages. Some gated communities are secure enough to resemble fortresses and are intended as such.

Features

Amenities available in a gated community 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 homeowners have the ability to construct their own private pools. A condominium

Condominium

A condominium, or condo, is the form of housing tenure and other real property where a specified part of a piece of real estate is individually owned while use of and access to common facilities in the piece such as hallways, heating system, elevators, exterior areas is executed under legal rights...

, 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
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...

s
Tennis court
Tennis court
A tennis court is where the game of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the center. The same surface can be used to play both doubles and singles.-Dimensions:...

s
Community centre
Community centre
Community centres or community centers or jumping recreation centers 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 community or for a specialised group within...

s or club
Club
A club is an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal. A service club, for example, exists for voluntary or charitable activities; there are clubs devoted to hobbies and sports, social activities clubs, political and religious clubs, and so forth.- History...

houses
Golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...

s
Marina
Marina
A marina 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 or cargo from freighters....
On-site dining
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
Playground
Playground
A playground or play area is a place with a specific design for children be able to play there. It may be indoors but is typically outdoors...

s
Exercise rooms
Physical exercise
Physical exercise is any bodily activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health and wellness. It is performed for various reasons including strengthening muscles and the cardiovascular system, honing athletic skills, weight loss or maintenance, as well as for the purpose of...

including workout machines
Exercise equipment
An apparatus or device used in any given physical activity for shaping and forming muscle groups for specific areas of the body. A mechanism or machine that is intended to promote health and fitness by using motion with varying degrees of resistance either fixed or adjustable.-Exercise...
Spa
Spa
The term spa is associated with water treatment which is also known as balneotherapy. Spa towns or spa resorts typically offer various health treatments. The belief in the curative powers of mineral waters goes back to prehistoric times. Such practices have been popular worldwide, but are...

High security restricted access

To enter some gated communities, the person must be a registered resident with photo ID or the person must have a friend in the gated community who gives specific permission (via phone or internet) to the security guards at the gate to this effect "my friend Joe Smith will visit me in the next hour or so, his drivers licence number is XXXXXX, let him in".

As a worldwide phenomenon

In Brazil, the most widespread form of gated community is called "condomínio 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 guard

Security guard

A security guard is a person who is paid to protect property, assets, or people. Security guards are usually privately and formally employed personnel...

s). 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 centers (many of them can only be accessed from inside the parking lot or the garage).

In Panama

Panama

Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...

, people buy houses inside of them because of the increased security, mainly in big cities. The majority of these gated communities are built for the middle and upper middle classes. They are preferred over condos and apartments because of lower community payment, higher feelings of privacy, and lower house prices.

In Argentina

Argentina

Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...

, they are called "barrios privados" (literal translation "private neighborhoods") 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 middle upper class regard gated community dwellers as nouveaux riches or snobs). While most gated communities have only houses, some bigger ones, such as Nordelta

Nordelta

Nordelta district, located at the north of the Tigre Partido, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, consists of a gated community made up of 9 neighborhoods, founded in 1999 and known as the first ciudadpueblo of Argentina; it is close to the town General Pacheco.When compared to older gated...

, have their own hospital, school, shopping mall, and more. In recent years, this influx of people going from the big cities to the gated communities has experienced a backlash in Argentina. Visiting Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...

, the renowned geographer and urbanist Jordi Borja from Spain who teaches urban planning at the University of Barcelona criticized gated communities calling them
"the negation of cities". Architect and university professor Marcela Camblor, who heads the Urban Design Dept in Florida, USA told the La Nacion newspaper that "the gated communities experiment has failed", calling them "unsustainable from the economic, social, and now even energetic point of view".

In post-apartheid South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

, gated communities have mushroomed in response to high levels of violent crime. South African gated communities are broadly classified as "security villages" (large-scale privately developed areas) or "enclosed neighborhoods . Some of the newest neighborhoods being developed are almost entirely composed 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, building 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

Squatting

Squatting consists of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied space or building, usually residential, that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have permission to use....

, which local residents fear due to associated crime, and which often results in a protracted eviction process. 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.

They are popular in southern China, namely the Pearl River

Pearl River (China)

The Pearl River or less commonly, the "Guangdong River" or "Canton River" etc., , is an extensive river system in southern China. The name Pearl River is usually used as a catchment term to refer to the watersheds of the Xi Jiang , the Bei Jiang , and the Dong Jiang...

Delta Region. These communities are often purchased by overseas Chinese, Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

Chinese, and new-rich local Chinese. Most famous one is Clifford Estates.

In Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...

, gated communities have existed since the discovery of oil, mainly to accommodate Westerners and their families. After threat levels raised since the late 1990s against Westerners in general and Americans in particular, gates have become armed, sometimes heavily, and all vehicles have been inspected. Marksmen

Marksman

A marksman is a person who is skilled in precision, or a sharpshooter shooting, using projectile weapons, such as with a rifle but most commonly with a sniper rifle, to shoot at long range targets...

and SANG

Saudi Arabian National Guard

The Saudi Arabian National Guard is a separate military force of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is not part of the Saudi Arabian Defence Forces, due to its specific role as a counterbalance to the regular military. It serves both as defence force against external threats and as a security force...

armored vehicles appeared in certain times, markedly after recent terrorist attacks in areas nearby, targeting Westerners.

Gated communities are very rare in Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

Criticism

Proponents of gated communities (and to a lesser degree, of culs-de-sac) maintain that the reduction or exclusion of people that would just be passing through, or more generally, of all non-locals, makes any "stranger" much more recognisable in the closed local environment, and thus reduces crime danger. This view has been attacked as unrealistic - since only a very small proportion of all non-locals 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, showing that gated communities in suburban areas of the United States have no less crime than similar non-gated neighborhoods.

Common economic model types

Lifestyle — country clubs, retirement developments.
Prestige — gates for status appeal
Security zone communities — gates for crime and traffic.
Purpose-designed communities — catering to foreigners (e.g. worker compounds in the Middle East, built largely for the oil industry)

Examples

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.
The closed cities
Closed city
A closed city or closed town is a settlement with travel and residency restrictions in the Soviet Union and some of its successor countries. In modern Russia, such places are officially known as "closed administrative-territorial formations" ....

of Russia are also an example of purpose-designed gated communities.
The Arbor Oaks subdivision
Subdivision (land)
Subdivision is the act of dividing land into pieces that are easier to sell or otherwise develop, usually via a plat. The former single piece as a whole is then known in the United States as a subdivision...

located in El Monte, California
El Monte, California
El Monte is a residential, industrial, and commercial city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The city's slogan is "Welcome to Friendly El Monte," and historically is known as "The End of the Santa Fe Trail." As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 113,475,...

, which appears in the film Back to the Future Part II
Back to the Future Part II
Back to the Future Part II is a 1989 American science fiction comedy film and the second installment of the Back to the Future trilogy. It was directed by Robert Zemeckis, written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale, and starred Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Thomas F. Wilson and Lea Thompson...

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

Argentina

, especially in Greater Buenos Aires

Greater Buenos Aires

Greater Buenos Aires is the generic denomination to refer to the megalopolis comprising the autonomous city of Buenos Aires and the conurbation around it, over the province of Buenos Aires—namely the adjacent 24 partidos or municipalities—which nonetheless do not constitute a single administrative...

, in the county of Pilar, 60 km N of Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires

city, as well as in other suburban areas, such as Nordelta.

Even though Tortugas Country Club was the first gated community developed in Argentina-dating from the 1930s/1940's-most of them date form the 1990s, when liberal reforms were consolidated.

Since Buenos Aires has been traditionally regarded as a socially integrated city, gated communities have been the object of research by sociologists. Gated communities are an important way through which people - particularly middle and upper classes - cope with the high levels of violent criminal activity in Greater Buenos Aires.

Australia

Although gated communities have been relatively rare in Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

, since the 1980s a few have been built. The most well-known are those at Hope Island

Hope Island, Queensland

Hope Island is a suburb on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. At the 2006 Census, Hope Island had a population of 5,396. Hope Island is popular due to its close proximity to both the Gold Coast beaches and Brisbane city....

, in particular Sanctuary Cove, on the Gold Coast

Gold Coast, Queensland

Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...

of Queensland

Queensland

Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...

. Other similar projects are being built in the area. In Victoria

Victoria (Australia)

Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....

, the first such development is Sanctuary Lakes, in the local government area of Wyndham

City of Wyndham

The City of Wyndham is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia, located in the outer south-western suburbs of Melbourne, between Melbourne and the regional city of Geelong. It has an area of and at the 2006 Census Wyndham had a population of 112,695....

, about 16 km south west of Melbourne

Melbourne

Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

. In New South Wales

New South Wales

New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...

there is Macquarie Links gated community. Many Australian gated communities are built within private golf courses.

Brazil

Brazil also has many gated communities, particularly in the metropolitan regions Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...

and São Paulo

São Paulo

São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...

. 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 big-scale gated community projects in São Paulo city region

Greater São Paulo

The Greater São Paulo is a nonspecific term for one of the multiple definitions the large metropolitan area located in the São Paulo state in Brazil.-Definitions:-Metropolitan Area:...

was Barueri

Barueri

Barueri is a Brazilian city in the state of São Paulo located in the northwestern part of the Greater São Paulo metropolitan area. The population in 2006 is estimated to be 265,549, the population density is 4,149.2 per km² and the area of 64 km²....

's Alphaville

Alphaville, São Paulo

Alphaville is the commercial name of a real estate and gated communities development in Brazil and Portugal, constituted by a number of business and residential condominia. The name evokes the "first among cities" concept...

, planned and constructed during the 1970s military dictatorship when the big cities of Brazil faced steep increases of car ownership

Effects of the automobile on societies

Over the course of the 20th century, the automobile rapidly developed from an expensive toy for the rich into the de facto standard for passenger transport in most developed countries. In developing countries, the effects of the automobile have lagged, but are emulating the impacts of developed...

by the middle and higher-classes, rural exodus

Rural exodus

Rural flight is a term used to describe the migratory patterns of peoples from rural areas into urban areas.In modern times, it often occurs in a region following the industrialization of agriculture when fewer people are needed to bring the same amount of agricultural output to market and related...

, poverty, crime, urban sprawl

Urban sprawl

Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a multifaceted concept, which includes the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs to its outskirts to low-density and auto-dependent development on rural land, high segregation of uses Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a...

and downtown

Downtown

Downtown is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's core or central business district ....

decay

Urban decay

Urban decay is the process whereby a previously functioning city, or part of a city, falls into disrepair and decrepitude...

Canada

Neighborhoods with "physical" or explicit gating with security checkpoints and patrols are extremely rare, being absent in some of Canada's richest neighborhoods such as Bridle Path, Toronto

Bridle Path, Toronto

The Bridle Path upscale residential neighbourhood in the former city of North York, now part of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, that is characterized by large multi-million dollar mansions and two to four acre lot sizes. It is often referred to as "Millionaires' Row"...

. This is generally attributed to the lower crime rate in Canadian cities and stricter gun control laws, compared to their U.S. neighbors. Furthermore, municipal planning laws in many Canadian provinces ban locked gates on "public" roads as a public health issue since they deny emergency vehicles quick access.

More common in most Canadian neighborhoods, especially the largest cities, is an implicit or symbolic gating which effectively partitions the private infrastructure and amenities of these communities from their surrounding neighborhoods. For instance, newer suburban subdivisions employ decorative gates to give the impression of exclusivity and seclusion. In contrast to Many condominiums, both individual towers and complexes consisting of numerous buildings

Housing estate

, however do maintain security checkpoints.

China

China, and Beijing

Beijing

Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...

in particular, has experienced a surge in gated communities. Some of these compounds, like most other gated communities around the world, target the rich. Also many foreigners live in gated communities in Beijing. 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 etc.).

Other gated communities in China such as those in the Daxing District

Daxing District

Daxing District is a suburb of Beijing, situated to the south of the city.-Overview:...

of Beijing enclose the homes of rural migrants. These are intended to, and succeed, in reducing crime and increasing public order and safety. The system is controversial as it segregates migrants and the poor but is scheduled for implementation in Changping District

Changping District

Changping District , formerly Changping County , is situated in the suburbs of northwest Beijing.Changping District, covering an area of 1,430 square kilometers, has 2 subdistricts of the city of Changping and 15 towns with total population of 614,821...

also.

Ecuador

Guayaquil

Guayaquil , officially Santiago de Guayaquil , is the largest and the most populous city in Ecuador,with about 2.3 million inhabitants in the city and nearly 3.1 million in the metropolitan area, as well as that nation's main port...

and Quito

Quito

San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito , is the capital city of Ecuador in northwestern South America. It is located in north-central Ecuador in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains...

, Ecuador

Ecuador

Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...

have many gated communities. In the coastal city of Guayaquil

Guayaquil

they are mostly located in Samborondón

Samborondón

Samborondón is a suburb of Guayaquil and one of the cantons of Guayas province in Ecuador. It is one of the most exclusive residential and entertainment districts in Ecuador, boasting many Gated Communities and several retail developments are located in the suburb...

and in Quito

Quito

in the Valleys surrounding the city. They are home mostly for the wealthiest people, but there's a trend, specially in Guayaquil

Guayaquil

, of houses in gated communities with moderate prices as well.

Indonesia

In Indonesia

Indonesia

Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...

, a gated community is preferred by most people. Some gated communities are luxurious (with lots of up to 740 square metres (8000 sq ft)), and some are very affordable (with lots ranging from 65 to 120 square metres). Some examples are houses in Pondok Indah and Kemang.

Mexico

Most of the gated communities in Mexico are illegal. Practically all the municipal rules prohibiting to close roads. Most of the new neighborhoods offer a close perimeter and check points similar to an "authentic" gated community. The only legal way to create a private community by legal means is trough a condominium, but this condition is a minority. This situation is tolerated and sometimes even promoted by some city councils due to the lack of capacity to provide a reliable and trusted security forces.

A 2008 study found that the average income in a urban area of Mexico was $26,654, a rate higher than an advanced nationa like Taiwan while the average income in rural areas (sometimes just miles away) was only $8,403. This close a proximity of wealth and poverty has created an illusion of security risk for Mexico's middle class. Illegal Gated communities can be found in virtually every moderately sized city in Mexico with the largest found in major cities, such as Monterrey

Monterrey

Monterrey , is the capital city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León in the country of Mexico. The city is anchor to the third-largest metropolitan area in Mexico and is ranked as the ninth-largest city in the nation. Monterrey serves as a commercial center in the north of the country and is the...

, Mexico City

Mexico City

Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...

or Guadalajara

Guadalajara

Guadalajara may refer to:In Mexico:*Guadalajara, Jalisco, the capital of the state of Jalisco and second largest city in Mexico**Guadalajara Metropolitan Area*University of Guadalajara, a public university in Guadalajara, Jalisco...

.

Only a few gated communities in Mexico are legal and 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.

New Zealand

In New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

, gated communities have been developed in suburban areas of the main cities since the 1980s and 1990s.

Peru

Lima
Lima
Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...

, Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....

has several gated communities, especially in the wealthy districts of La Molina and Santiago de Surco
Santiago de Surco
Santiago de Surco, commonly known simply as Surco, is a district of Lima, Peru. It is bordered on the north by the districts of La Molina, Ate and San Borja; on the south by Chorrillos; on the east by La Molina, Villa María del Triunfo and San Juan de Miraflores; and on the west by San Borja,...

. They are home to many prominent Peruvians.

Philippines

The Philippines has a sizable number of gated communities or "subdivisions" as they are locally called.

Forbes Park
Forbes Park, Makati City
Forbes Park, also known simply as Forbes, is a private subdivision and gated community in Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines. Established in the 1940s, Forbes Park was named after William Cameron Forbes, an American Governor-General of the Philippines...

in Makati City - An upper-class subdivision in close-proximity to the Makati Central Business District. It is where the richest personalities in the Philippines live.
Dasmariñas Village
Dasmariñas Village
Dasmariñas Village or simply Dasma, is a private subdivision and gated community in Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines. It occupies 187.21 hectares and is bounded by Epifanio de los Santos Avenue to the north, McKinley Road to the northeast, Pili Avenue/Forbes Park South to the east, Maricaban...

and Legazpi Village in Makati City
Valle Verde in Pasig City - A series of six separate complexes of homes, all surrounded by walls and guarded by private security guards.
Wack Wack
Greenhills West, Greenhills North
Ayala Alabang Village
Ayala alabang village
Ayala Alabang was an outer suburb of Metro Manila in Muntinlupa city district in the Philippines around from the center of Metro Manila. The upscale neighborhood was created in 1981. Large portion of it came from Barangay Alabang....

in Muntinlupa City is the biggest upper-class subdivision in the Philippines.

Russia

Gated communities (other than closed cities

Closed city

A closed city or closed town is a settlement with travel and residency restrictions in the Soviet Union and some of its successor countries. In modern Russia, such places are officially known as "closed administrative-territorial formations" ....

) usually are made from the secret objects where level of Classification was lowered but communities kept or residents are still in force to preserve its status. The new are not popular because in practice first "point building" were guarded and in spite crime level was higher and prefer single-door checkpoints instead.

Barvikha: it used as elite land even if many houses are guarded separately
Moscow, Gateway-10 island: pass allowed to residence and staff only, two bridges are not shown on the map.
Moscow, Blue bird complex: Checkpoints disabled to pedestrians
Moscow, Serebryannyi Bor: low-floor housing. Cars can't enter without special permission, free access by foot or trolleybus.
Marphino: high buildings square inside old buildings. The buildings are numbered to streets as sides at square taken the buildings with random house number. Enters are not closiest to bus stops.
Pokrovsky Hills
Pokrovsky Hills
Pokrovsky Hills is a gated community in the north-west part of Moscow, Russia. The residential community consists of 100 townhouses . The neighborhood is mostly consisted of foreigners as it is adjacent to the Anglo-American School of Moscow...

and Rosinka are gated communities in Moscow.

Saudi Arabia

In Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia

, expatriate workers are required to live in Saudi Aramco

Saudi Aramco

Saudi Aramco , officially the Saudi Arabian Oil Company, is the national oil company of Saudi Arabia.Saudi Aramco is the world's largest and most valuable privately-held company, with estimates of its value in 2011 to be $7 trillion USD.Saudi Aramco has both the largest proven crude oil reserves,...

-controlled gated communities. The largest such community is Dhahran

Dhahran

Dhahran is a city located in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, and is a major administrative center for the Saudi oil industry. Large oil reserves were first identified in the Dhahran area in 1931, and in 1935 Standard Oil of California drilled the first commercially viable oil well...

. Gated communities are also popular with well-to-do Saudis. The largest communities include, in addition to Dhahran, Ras Tanura

Ras Tanura

Ras Tanura is a city in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia located on a peninsula extending into the Persian Gulf...

, Abqaiq

Abqaiq

Abqaiq, or in Arabic Bqaiq , is a Saudi Aramco camp in the interior of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, located in the desert 60 km southwest of the Dhahran-Dammam-Khobar metropolitan area. The camp was built in the 1940s by ARAMCO...

, and Udhailiyah

Udhailiyah

Udhailiyah [pronounced Ew'd Aleea] is a small oil company compound in the interior of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia located in the desert southwest of the Dhahran-Dammam-Khobar metropolitan area. Built by the national oil company Saudi Aramco, Udhailiyah has a population of approximately...

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

has an increasing number of gated communities.

Thailand

Nichada Thani is a gated community based around International School Bangkok

International School Bangkok

The International School of Bangkok is in the western-style community of Nichada Thani, in Nonthaburi Province.- ISB history :ISB opened in 1951. Its initial enrollment was 50 children of United Nations and U.S. diplomats. First located on Rajadamri Road, ISB expanded to provide both primary and...

. The community is located in the north Bangkok suburb of Pak Kret.

Turkey

Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...

has several gated communities, especially in Istanbul and Ankara. They are mostly located around the edge of the city.

United Arab Emirates

In the United Arab Emirates

United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...

, gated communities have exploded in popularity, particularly in Dubai

Dubai

Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...

, 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.

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

, gated communities can usually be found in London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

, especially in the Docklands (such as New Caledonian Wharf

New Caledonian Wharf

New Caledonian Wharf is a luxury gated community in the Rotherhithe area of London on the River Thames.-History:The wharf was originally known as Redriff Wharf and continued to be a commercial wharf until the late 70s. It was located adjacent to Greenland Dock and part of the Surrey Docks , though...

, Kings and Queen Wharf and Pan Peninsula

Pan Peninsula

Pan Peninsula, also known as 1 Millharbour, is an exclusive luxury residential development in the Docklands area of London, near South Quay DLR and Canary Wharf Underground stations...

), and East London

East End of London

The East End of London, also known simply as the East End, is the area of London, England, United Kingdom, east of the medieval walled City of London and north of the River Thames. Although not defined by universally accepted formal boundaries, the River Lea can be considered another boundary...

(for example Bow Quarter

Bow Quarter

The Bow Quarter is a gated community in Bow, London. The building was originally the Bryant and May match factory, and was the site of the Match Girls' strike in the 1880s...

in Bow, London

Bow, London

Bow is an area of London, England, United Kingdom in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is a built-up, mostly residential district located east of Charing Cross, and is a part of the East End.-Bridges at Bowe:...

), although there are an increasing number across the whole of the country. There are an estimated 1,000 gated communities in England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

United States

Most gated communities in the U.S. are unincorporated—some, like Indiana's Briar Ridge

Briar Ridge

Briar Ridge is a gated, upscale residential community partly in Dyer and partly in Schererville, in Lake County, Indiana.-Overview:Bordered on the south by 213th St, on the north by Main St, and on the west by Hart Ditch in a gated golf course neighborhood...

, may even span more than one incorporated municipality—but uniquely, there are several incorporated

Municipal corporation

A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. Municipal incorporation occurs when such municipalities become self-governing entities under the laws of the state or province in which...

gated cities in Southern California

Southern California

Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...

, namely Bradbury

Bradbury, California

Bradbury is a small, affluent city in the San Gabriel Valley region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is located in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains below Angeles National Forest. Bradbury is bordered by the city of Monrovia to the west, and Duarte to the south and...

, Canyon Lake

Canyon Lake, California

Canyon Lake is a gated community in Riverside County, California, United States. One of only five gated cities in California, Canyon Lake began as a master-planned community developed by Corona Land Company in 1968. The “City of Canyon Lake” was incorporated on December 1, 1990. It geographically...

, Hidden Hills

Hidden Hills, California

Hidden Hills is an incorporated city, and also a gated development in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 1,856 at the 2010 census, down from 1,875 at the 2000 census.It is located in the westernmost San Fernando Valley...

, Laguna Woods

Laguna Woods, California

Laguna Woods 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. About 90% of the city consists of Laguna Woods Village, a retirement community, formerly known as Leisure World...

and Rolling Hills

Rolling Hills, California

Rolling Hills is a city in the Palos Verdes Hills, in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,860, down from 1,871 at the 2000 census...

. To meet legal requirements, the city halls and municipal facilities are public, and private corporations own parks and other facilities within the gates. By 1997, an estimated 20,000 gated communities had been built across the country. Approximately 40% of new homes in California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

are behind walls. In 1997, estimates of the number of people in gated communities ranged from 4 million in 30,000 communities up to around 8 million, with a ½ million in California alone. One reason why it is difficult to determine how many gated communities there are in the United States is that most are privately developed.

The village of Rosemont, Illinois

Rosemont, Illinois

Rosemont is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States located immediately northwest of Chicago. The village was incorporated in 1956, though it had been settled long before that...

, just outside Chicago, maintains a security checkpoint at the entrance of its main residential section. Harbor Springs, Michigan

Harbor Springs, Michigan

Harbor Springs is a city and resort community in Emmet County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,567 at the 2000 census.Harbor Springs is in a sheltered bay on the north shore of the Little Traverse Bay on Lake Michigan. The Little Traverse Lighthouse is a historic lighthouse on...

is the largest gated community in the Midwestern United states.

In Downtown Miami

Downtown Miami

Downtown Miami is an urban residential neighborhood, and the central business district of Miami, Miami-Dade County, and South Florida in the United States...

, Florida

Miami, Florida

Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...

, the neighborhood of Brickell Key

Brickell Key

Brickell Key is a man-made island of the mainland Brickell neighborhood of Miami, Florida, United States. Also called Claughton Island, the neighborhood is just east of Downtown Miami and the Miami River.-History:...

is a gated island community of high-rise residential towers. Although anyone can walk onto the island or come via the public bus, only authorized automobiles may enter. Brickell Key has some of the most expensive apartment

Apartment

An apartment or flat is a self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building...

s in Miami.

There are other incorporated gated communities outside California including Sea Ranch Lakes, Florida

Sea Ranch Lakes, Florida

Sea Ranch Lakes is a village in Broward County, Florida, United States. The village was named for the Sea Ranch Hotel. The population was 670 at the 2010 census.Sea Ranch Lakes is located on Highway A1A, surrounded by Lauderdale-by-the-Sea...

and North Oaks, Minnesota

North Oaks, Minnesota

North Oaks is a suburb north of Saint Paul in Ramsey County in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 4,469 at the 2010 census.Formerly a gated community that now posts private access signage, all land is owned by homeowners with the North Oaks Home Owners Association maintaining all...

.

Hot Springs Village, Arkansas

Hot Springs Village, Arkansas

Hot Springs Village is a census-designated place in Garland and Saline counties in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As it is situated in two counties, it is also part of two metropolitan statistical areas...

is the largest gated community in the United States with over 26,000 heavily-wooded acres. HSV is governed by the HSV Property Owners' Association (POA), a private, tax-exempt home owners association.

In popular media

J.G. Ballard has examined the phenomenon in his novel Super-Cannes
Super-Cannes
Super-Cannes is a novel by the British author J. G. Ballard, published in 2000. It picks up on the same themes as his earlier Cocaine Nights, and has often been called a companion piece to that book.-Plot summary:...

and in his novella Running Wild
Running Wild (novella)
Running Wild is a novella by J. G. Ballard, first published in 1988.The novel takes the form of a detective novel, recounting the investigation of a mysterious massacre in suburbia through the diary of a forensic psychiatrist.- Plot summary :...

(1988).
T. C. Boyle's novel The Tortilla Curtain
The Tortilla Curtain
The Tortilla Curtain is a novel by U.S. author T.C. Boyle about middle-class values, illegal immigration, a fear and hatred of foreigners, poverty, and environmental destruction...

(1995) is also set in and near a gated community in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

.
Neal Stephenson
Neal Stephenson
Neal Town Stephenson is an American writer known for his works of speculative fiction.Difficult to categorize, his novels have been variously referred to as science fiction, historical fiction, cyberpunk, and postcyberpunk...

's novel Snow Crash
Snow Crash
Snow Crash is Neal Stephenson's third novel, published in 1992. Like many of Stephenson's other novels it covers history, linguistics, anthropology, archaeology, religion, computer science, politics, cryptography, memetics, and philosophy....

depicts a future where gated communities are mass-produced by franchising
Franchising
Franchising is the practice of using another firm's successful business model. The word 'franchise' is of anglo-French derivation - from franc- meaning free, and is used both as a noun and as a verb....

systems and operate as sovereign
Sovereignty
Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...

city-state
City-state
A city-state is an independent or autonomous entity whose territory consists of a city which is not administered as a part of another local government.-Historical city-states:...

s known as "burbclaves."
The novel Parable of the Sower
Parable of the Sower (novel)
Parable of the Sower is the first in a two-book series of science fiction novels written by Octavia E. Butler and published in 1993.-Plot summary:...

by Octavia Butler takes place in a world where much of civilization lives within gated communities.
In the novel I Will Fear No Evil
I Will Fear No Evil
I Will Fear No Evil is a science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein, originally serialised in Galaxy and published in hardcover in 1970...

by Robert A. Heinlein
Robert A. Heinlein
Robert Anson Heinlein was an American science fiction writer. Often called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was one of the most influential and controversial authors of the genre. He set a standard for science and engineering plausibility and helped to raise the genre's standards of...

, the wealthiest citizens shelter from urban poverty inside fortress-like guarded gated communities.
The novel The Stepford Wives
The Stepford Wives
The Stepford Wives is a 1972 satirical thriller novel by Ira Levin. The story concerns Joanna Eberhart, a photographer and young mother who begins to suspect that the frighteningly submissive housewives in her new idyllic Connecticut neighborhood may be robots created by their husbands.Two films of...

(1972) takes place inside an idyllic gated community that secretly enslaves its female members to conform to the standards of the men.
The Snowman and Crake characters of Oryx and Crake
Oryx and Crake
Oryx and Crake is a novel by the Canadian author Margaret Atwood. Atwood has at times disputed the novel being science fiction, preferring to label it speculative fiction and "adventure romance" because it does not deal with 'things that have not been invented yet' and goes beyond the realism she...

by Margaret Atwood
Margaret Atwood
Margaret Eleanor Atwood, is a Canadian poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, and environmental activist. She is among the most-honoured authors of fiction in recent history; she is a winner of the Arthur C...

live and work in corporate-owned gated communities known as Compounds.
In the Season Six episode of The X-Files entitled "Arcadia", Mulder and Scully investigate disappearances within a gated community that seems to be harboring a terrible secret.
In the SpongeBob SquarePants
SpongeBob SquarePants
SpongeBob SquarePants is an American animated television series, created by marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg. Much of the series centers on the exploits and adventures of the title character and his various friends in the underwater city of "Bikini Bottom"...

episode Squidville, Squidward temporarily moves to a gated community of squids.
In one episode of Veggietales
VeggieTales
VeggieTales is an American series of children's computer animated films featuring anthropomorphic vegetables in stories conveying moral themes based on Christianity...

, Larry sings a song about gated communities in Silly Songs with Larry.
In Argentina, Claudia Piñeiro's Las viudas de los jueves (Thursday Widows) became a local best seller after winning the 2005 edition of 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.
Mexican film La Zona
La Zona (2007)
La Zona is a Mexican-Spanish-Argentine co-production film by director Rodrigo Plá. The film describes a failed break-in attempt in a gated community and the consequences for the thieves and the residents....

, directed by Rodrigo Plá
Rodrigo Plá
Rodrigo Plá is a Uruguay screenwriter and director.He is known for his 2007 film La Zona , studied photography, screenwriting and direction at the Centro de capacitacion cinematogrfica in Mexico City, where he has lived since he was 11...

, talks about a gated community invaded by a group of very young and poor children.
In the ABC Family movie "Picture This" starring Ashley Tisdale
Ashley Tisdale
Ashley Michelle Tisdale is an American actress and singer who rose to prominence portraying the candy-counter girl Maddie Fitzpatrick in Disney Channel's The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and the female antagonist Sharpay Evans in the High School Musical film series...

, Drew lives in a gated community called Camelot.
Most of the 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.
On the television show Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...

, the suburb of Fairview
Fairview (Desperate Housewives)
Fairview is the fictional setting for the American television comedy-drama series, Desperate Housewives.-Location:The state in which Fairview resides is ambiguous, however more than likely it is suburban Mississippi...

, where Wisteria Lane
Wisteria Lane
Wisteria Lane is the fictional name of a street which the characters of the American drama television series Desperate Housewives live. Desperate Housewives storylines primarily centre around the residents of the street. Wisteria Lane is located inside Universal Studios Hollywood, and is actually...

and the residents of Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...

can be found, is a gated community.
In the cartoon As Told By Ginger
As Told by Ginger
As Told by Ginger is an American teen drama animated series that was produced by Klasky-Csupo and aired on Nickelodeon from 2000 to 2009. The series focuses on a middle schooler Ginger Foutley who, with her friends, tries to become more than a social geek. There are many subplots that focus on...

, the Griplings reside in Protective Pines.
Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV is a 2008 open world action video game published by Rockstar Games, and developed by British games developer Rockstar North. It has been released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles, and for the Windows operating system...

has a gated community called Beachgate, a fictional rendition of Sea Gate, Brooklyn. It includes the home of early antagonist Mikhail Faustin
In seasons 1-3 of Weeds
Weeds (TV series)
Weeds is an American television comedy created by Jenji Kohan and produced by Tilted Productions in association with Lionsgate Television. The central character is Nancy Botwin , a widowed mother of two boys who begins selling marijuana to support her family after her husband dies suddenly of a...

, Nancy Botwin and her family inhabit the gated community of Agrestic.
In the Spanish movie Secuestrados
Secuestrados
Secuestrados is a 2010 Spanish psychological thriller film directed by Miguel Ángel Vivas and was written by Javier García.-Plot:The project tells the story of a family moving into a new house...

, kidnappers take the daughter of a family, living in an allegedly secure gated community.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

Features

High security restricted access

As a worldwide phenomenon

Criticism

Common economic model types

Examples

Argentina

Australia

Brazil

Canada

China

Ecuador

Indonesia

Mexico

New Zealand

Peru

Philippines

Russia

Saudi Arabia

South Africa

Thailand

Turkey

United Arab Emirates

United Kingdom

United States

In popular media

See also

Further reading

External links