Gated Communities provides a historic, socio-political and contemporary cultural perspective of gated communities. In doing so it offers a different lens through which to view the historical vernacular background of this now global phenomenon. The book presents a collection of new writing on the issue by an international and interdisciplinary group of contributors. The authors review current thinking on gated communities and consider the sustainability issues that these contemporary 'lifestyle' communities raise. The authors argue that there are links that can be drawn between the historic gated homesteads and cities, found in much of the world, and today's Western-style secure complexes. Global examples of gated communities, and their historical context, are presented throughout the book. The authors also comment on how sustainability issues have impacted on these communities. The book concludes by considering how the historic measures up with the contemporary in terms of sustainability function, and aesthetic.

Foreword. Urban Gating: One Instance of a Larger Development? 1. Gated Histories: An Introduction to Themes and Concepts 2. Reflection Opening the Gates: An East-West Transmodern Discourse? 3. Gated Urban Life versus Kinship and Social Solidarity in the Middle East 4. Gating Urban Spaces in China: Inclusion, Exclusion and Government 5. Lagos: 'Urban Gating' as the Default Condition 6. Gated Minds, Gated Places: The Impact and Meaning of Hard Boundaries South Africa 7. Latin American Gated Communities: The Latest Symbol of Historic Segregation 8. Gated Communities in Mexico City: A Historical Perspective 9. Production and Social Sustainability of Private Enclaves in Suburban Landscapes: French and US Long-term Emergence of Gated Communities and Private Streets 10. Barriers and Boundaries: An Exploration of Gatedness in New Zealand 11. Afterword