There was a time in the distant past of the human race when we lived in safe private communities. They were called caves. They were surrounded by great stone walls and the only access to them was through a single narrow door. The door was guarded by a big, burly guy whose purpose was to make sure that the only people or animals that entered were the ones that belonged there.
This concept of life served us for a long, long time, and there is no doubt that deep down in the collective memories of our species, there is a longing to return to that warm fuzzy feeling of the cave. You knew there were many unknown things and great danger outside, but inside you were free to live, enjoy the company of people who were very much like you, and raise your children safely.
There were not enough habitable caves to sustain humanity’s population growth. Finally, we had to find another way. From the beginning, the settlements outside the cave were protected by some kind of barrier, with limited and controlled access. As time passed and the population continued to increase, we began to build the first cities, with thick stone walls and gates to control the entrance.
The idea of a gated community within the city walls started early. This double protection was something that was quite restricted to the very wealthy. The smaller walls around the neighborhoods within the thicker city walls not only served to protect residents, but were the beginning of the idea of exclusion. When smaller gated communities began adding some basic amenities, like markets and schools, behind their guarded gates, it served more to insulate them from the outside of “others” more than for any other reason.
In recent times, the rapidly growing population and the advent of bomber planes and ballistic missiles have rendered the city wall obsolete. The city, no longer contained by stone, expanded and expanded. The need for housing and the increase in overcrowding and crime associated with downtown areas led to the creation of suburbs. These sprawling dormitory communities became the new population center, and residents initially felt a strong sense of security there. Suburban communities also provided the shared comforts that cities had marked. Schools and markets were close. Recreational facilities were nearby. The crime was far away.
The wealthy still had that sense of exclusivity, and this led to the first of the modern gated communities in the suburbs. The former consisted of large properties surrounded by stone walls, but more importantly, they had limited access. This was accomplished through manned or unmanned doors. They were also mostly residential in nature, with markets, schools, and even parks, located outside the walls. There was another trend that was growing in the suburbs and that was being driven by the arrival of the mass media. Televisions brought nationwide violence and crime into people’s living rooms and eroded a sense of safety and security. They began to realize that they weren’t as safe as they thought, and it was time for private communities for the middle class.
