Gated communities: (Ne)gating community development?

Gated communities are becoming increasingly common across England, yet very little is known about the impact these developments have upon the residents of the wider community or those within the confines of the gates. This paper draws on empirical research carried out in a gated community in the north of England to explore social ties amongst the residents, in the presence of a legal framework ( lease and residents' management company) which provides behavioural rules, sanctions and a structure for resident management of the development. The data suggest that gated residents' rights and responsibilities are, by and large, confined to legalities, rather than extending to a commitment to enhance social networks either within the development or in the adjacent wider community. The paper concludes that gated communities of the type discussed here, ready-made new developments introduced into established neighbourhoods, may also exacerbate the effect of physical and social barriers between residents within and outside the gated community.