FORTING UP - GATED COMMUNITIES IN THE UNITED-STATES

Gated communities are a rapidly growing phenomenon in all areas of the country. This paper focuses on one aspect of the rise of gated commun ities: the motivations of status and exclusion. In gated developments from the wealthiest country clubs to the simple middle-class subdivisi on, gates are used to exclude outsiders and signal status and prestige . They also offer a sense of security from crime; a controlled environ ment that is aimed at protecting property values; and to varying degre es, a set of amenities and services that provide a managed community. At the same time, they manifest the growing reliance on privatization of formerly public services and the desire fbr social distance.