Gated Communities as a Way of Lifestyle

ABSTRACT Gated communities represent an urban phenomenon that is spreading all over the world. In 1985 gated communities existed in only a handful of places. However, today they can be found in every major metropolitan area. Thus, gated communities have been studied and defined in a number of ways. These definitions congregate around a housing that restricts public access by the use of gates, walls and fences (Atkinson and Blandy, 2006). Gated communities are response to the fear of crime. In addition, the desire for privacy and prestigious lifestyle are significant aspects of motivation to live behind gates. This study aims to highlights that the needs to live behind the walls and the way gated communities affects the community and citizenship almost the same in each geography by firstly reminds the theoretical background of gated communities and secondly by presenting researches conducted in various geographies.