Abstract

This paper examines the functions walls perform in gated communities from the standpoints of both gated community developers and their residents. It posits three types of walls and scrutinises the purpose for each. Drawing empirical data from face-to-face interviews with 11 developers and 20 residents drawn from two gated communities in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area in Ghana, the paper finds that, contrary to received wisdom, internal cluster walls in gated communities are used to segregate residents into different economic and social classes, often under the pretext of offering them different housing choices. It further casts doubts on the widely touted view that gated communities offer a better sense of security as residents express anxieties over suspected criminals living among them. The paper concludes by calling for a re-examination of several features of gated communities, including the meaning of the concept itself and the typologies that exist to bring out more of such nuances.

摘要

本文从封闭式社区开发商及其居民的角度审视了墙壁在封闭式社区中的功能。它设置了三种类型的墙并仔细检查了每种类型的用途。通过对来自加纳大阿克拉都会区两个封闭式社区的 11 名开发商和 20 名居民进行面对面访谈，得出经验数据，该论文发现，与公认的智慧相反，封闭式社区的内部集群墙用于隔离居民分为不同的经济和社会阶层，通常以向他们提供不同的住房选择为借口。它进一步质疑了广泛吹捧的观点，即封闭式社区提供更好的安全感，因为居民对生活在其中的嫌疑犯表示焦虑。