Gated Communites in the USA and Abroad

Known to many Americans as residential communities, Gated Communities are usually pointed out as enclosed areas that are guarded. Contained within are people who usually own properties of high value. These communities contain small streets where people live and share particular amenities, mostly recreational like parks, swimming pools and playgrounds.

The concept of a gated community is similar to that of a shopping complex or mall. A mall contains many shopping areas that are protected by guards by the entrance and exit points. It also makes the shopping experience more safe and enjoyable as everything is controlled and stable. Similarly, a gated community contains many houses where people live, keeping them safe from any dangers outside and at the same time making life easier and more enjoyable. In other countries, these places are referred to as closed housing estates, private districts, compounds, and subdivisions.

Amenities are dependent on what kinds of communities are found inside the Gates. If there are more children within a particular gated community, one might find that a playground and park is more readily available than a small golf course. Golfing will probably be more available in a gated community that contains many retired citizens.

The three common features of a gated community are lifestyle, prestige, and security. It is these three elements that have attracted many home buyers to invest in these communities. It allows for them to improve on the quality of life. Gated communities are becoming increasingly popular in many other countries aside from the United States. They have proven to be more economical and more comfortable. Gated communities also maintain a sense of security which is quite ironic because most walls that separate these communities from other places are easy to climb over. In the US, these communities exist more on the need to show social status than for anything else. It gives its citizens a sense of prestige and belonging in society.

Some gated communities have guards at the entrance and exit points. Residents usually have some kind of identification like a car sticker to show that they belong to a particular community. In recent years, it is becoming more popular to have automated gates, replacing the guards with a keypad. All residents have to do is type in a password so that they can gain entry. This has made it easier and safer in a way because only those with the password can enter through the gates.

Gated communities are becoming very popular that in China, the law requires that all new residential projects must be gated. But not all countries are adopting this type of community. In Canada, one of the safest countries to live in, the citizens do not appreciate the term "gated community" as it seems to alienate those within the gates from everybody else. They find that this creates an atmosphere of separation which can sometimes lead to hostility. However, they do have residential areas that have gates but have no guards and are still open to the public. Gated communities in America require people to be members of the community so that they can enter it.