CITY OF WALLS: THE MOTIVATION AND DESIRE BEHIND GATED COMMUNITIES
by
Ryan Arrighi
A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of
The Wilkes Honors College
in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of
Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences
with a Concentration in Anthropology
Wilkes Honors College of
Florida Atlantic University
Jupiter, Florida
May, 2013
CITY OF WALLS: THE MOTIVATION AND DESIRE BEHIND GATED COMMUNITIES
by Ryan Arrighi
This thesis was prepared under the direction of the candidate's thesis advisor, Dr. Jacqueline Fewkes, and has been approved by the members of her/his supervisory committee. It was submitted to the faculty of The Honors College and was accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Liberal arts and Sciences.
SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE:
______Dr. Jacqueline Fewkes
______Dr. Rachel Corr
______Dean Jeffrey Buller, Wilkes Honors College
______Date
ii
ABSTRACT
Author: Ryan Arrighi
Title: City of Walls: The Motivation and Desire Behind Gated Communities
Institution: Wilkes Honors College of Florida Atlantic University
Thesis Advisor: Dr. Jacqueline Fewkes
Degree: Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences
Concentration: Anthropology
Year: 2013
Post World War II the idea of the "neighborhood" has been rapidly reinvented by a variety of influential factors such as mass suburbanization, urban development, and economic expansion. This thesis explores the ways in which neighborhood space has transformed from the public to private sphere through the creation of gated communities.
Anthropological methods such as interviews, questionnaires, text analysis, and participant observation were utilized to determine individual's motivation and desire to create and reside within gated communities.
iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ...... 1
CHAPTER TWO: METHODS ...... 3
CHAPTER THREE: LITERATURE REVIEW ...... 6
CHAPTER FOUR: TEXT ANALYSIS ...... 18
CHAPTER FIVE: INTERVIEWS ...... 34
CHAPTER SIX: QUESTIONNAIRE...... 46
CHAPTER SEVEN: CONCLUSION ...... 51
REFERENCES ...... 54
iv CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
I have vivid memories of being enamored by gates when I was just nine years old.
I was intrigued by their imposing presence that exuded exclusivity, privacy, and protection. As I have grown older and have developed a passion for real estate I gained curiosity as to why gated communities have become so present in today's industry. I came across an article by Hugh Bartling that discussed how gated communities have reinvented the way in which individuals identify neighborhood space. Perplexed by this shift I decided to create a study where I determine the motivation to create and reside within gated communities.
Instead of focusing on the controversy of gated communities my research concentrates on the modern trend of enclosure and illustrates why individuals are motivated to create and reside in gated communities. By talking to the individuals who are involved in the creation of gated communities as well as the residents I determine real estate developers' motivations to create gated communities and residents' desire to live in them. My objective is to discover why the concept of neighborhood space has been drastically re-defined within the past few decades and why it has shifted from the public to private sphere through the creation of gated communities.
In order to answer this question I need to understand how residents create a sense of living inside gated communities and why these enclaves are created. In order to do so I employ methods that will allow me to critically analyze the ways in which society functions. I accomplish this through observation and by employing methods such as
1 participant observation, interviews, and questionnaires that provide data on individuals who have the motivation and desire to reside in and or create gated communities.
The study population is located in gated communities in Palm Beach County,
Florida and Orlando, Florida. The study population itself will be people involved in the production and regulation of the community, the inhabitants of the enclave itself, and those involved in the publicizing and advertising of the gated community. Specifically, I will be talking to developers, homebuilders, realtors, and residents of gated communities.
In doing this I hope to discover why individuals choose to reside in and create gated communities.
2 CHAPTER TWO: METHODS
To gain evidence for my research I employed three anthropological research methods: questionnaires, interviews, and text analysis. I used random and snowball sampling to select participants. I selected all volunteers based on their willingness to participate where no more than one hundred individuals were involved with the course of the study. This small number of participants was sufficient to gather the necessary information. I did not ask any vulnerable groups to participate in the course of this study
– only adults who are able to give consent were contacted by the student investigator. I did not utilize any advertising to select participants beyond simply word of mouth discussions regarding the project. I conducted interviews in a place and a time chosen by the informant.
The first method I utilized was the use of a survey. I administered questionnaires through the online format of SurveyMonkey. By hosting the questionnaire online I hoped to receive a plethora of responses due to the ease of access and limited time commitment required to respond to the questions. I used a questionnaire to determine the motivation and desire for why individuals, as well as potential buyers, chose to personally reside within gated communities.
I obtained participants through word of mouth and their response was voluntary and anonymous. I asked participants to rank, list, and select information that they believe was the most applicable towards their personal experiences when choosing to reside within a gated community. Once responses were accumulated I analyzed the results to
3 determine if there were trends in the data to conclude the top reasons for why residents choose to live behind the gates.
The second anthropological method I employed was informal and semi-structured interviews. I designed the questions for professionals who are involved in the producing, regulating, and inhabiting of gated enclaves and focused on determining the motivation and desire to create gated communities. I asked the professionals to explain their role within the real estate industry, the focus of their business, the methods they use to sell the gated community lifestyle to customers, and the reasons why they believe gated communities are continuing to gain prominence.
After speaking with the individuals involved in the creation of gated communities
I compared their responses to those of the residents who participated in the questionnaire.
I interviewed builders, developers, field supervisors, and office workers to determine their take on the gated community trend. Ultimately, I determined the motivation and desire to create and reside within gated communities. Interviews and questionnaires allowed for direct access to the individuals involved in the real estate industry where I used their responses to provided my research with a unique perspective on the gated community trend.
The last method I performed was text analysis where I examined and analyzed gated community's advertisements, such as brochures and other marketing materials. I examined how gated communities choose to portray themselves to the public through their marketing and how this portrayal potentially effects individual's decisions when it comes to purchasing a home within a gated community.
4 I chose to focus on three specific gated communities for my research. The first community was an undeveloped project that offers residents a country club lifestyle twenty minutes away from the bustling city. Here, potential buyers have the opportunity to buy large lots to build private residences that will be surrounded by serene untouched land. The second community was an upscale gated community that is exclusively tied to
Walt Disney World. The community focuses on high-end private properties that gives buyers exclusive access and perks to Disney World. The third community was a country club community in southern Florida that offers residents a full-service restaurant, three golf courses, spa, fitness facility, pool, and is part of an Audubon society, a non-profit environmental organization dedicated to conservation. In Chapter 4 "Text Analysis" I will look at the ways in which advertising is used to motivate buyers to reside within a gated community.
By combining these three methods I successfully determined the motivation and desire to create and reside within gated communities. Interviews were responsible for providing responses from the creators and visionaries, questionnaires presented residents motivations to live behind the gates, and text analysis allowed me to study the ways in which individuals gain awareness of these communities through their marketing materials as well as the ways in which the communities portray themselves to gain specific clientele.
5
CHAPTER THREE: LITERATURE REVIEW
The objective of my research is to determine the motivation and desire for individuals to create and live within gated communities. In order to have an understanding of my data I gained from participant observation, interviews, and questionnaires a theoretical framework needs to be established to provide relevant background information published by various researchers.
Redefining neighborhood space
If you ask a typical American citizen to visualize and define neighborhood space most likely they would describe suburbia. Post World War II industrialization allowed for an explosion of economic expansion. Part of this boom was mass suburbanization or the creation of suburbs that allowed for individuals to be able to live outside the city in a more relaxed, rural environment. By 1950 more Americans lived in suburbs than anywhere else (England and Morgan 1979).
Although the phenomenon of suburbia still exists today a new trend has arisen, that of gated communities. The desire and motivation to create and live in gated communities is the central aspect of my research but how are gated communities redefining neighborhood space?
According to Hugh Bartling, author of Disney’s Celebration, the Promise of New
Urbanism, and the Portents of Homogeneity, mass suburbanization is the most important demographic and social transformation that has occurred in the US over the past 50 years
(Bartling 44). Bartling describes the post-World War II suburb as being arranged around
6 the single-family home, transportation by private automobile, a paradigm of mixed zoning that separated residential, occupational, and consumptive spaces, and a general ethos of expansion that has been translated into the derisive moniker of suburban
“sprawl” (Bartling 44). Although he critiques this transition from urban to rural as “…an exercise in escape” the invention of the suburbs reinvented how Americans' view neighborhood space. (Bartling 45)
Today, Bartling claims that urban development has paralleled mass suburbanization. It has sparked a shift from suburbia to gated community, ultimately changing how individuals identify ideal neighborhood space. In his article Bartling uses
Disney’s Celebration in Central Florida as a case study example for redefining neighborhood space. He discusses how new urbanism encompasses a utopic vision, one that encompasses ideal, picturesque characteristics, which require three major principles to become reality. First, communities must exhibit diversity in land use. Second, they must be scaled for pedestrians. Finally, they must have a well-defined public realm supported by an architecture reflecting on the ecology and culture of the region. With new urban development communities requiring these changes Bartling argues that people are exposed to a new way of life in which they strive for homogeneity and desire to live in utopic communities, void of all crime and public problems (Bartling 2002). I would further argue that this desire could be equally applied to individuals that want to live within gated communities today.
Setha Low, author of The Edge and Center: Gated Communities and the
Discourse of Urban Fear, takes the argument of sociologist Lyn Lofland's work on "The
Public Realm" which suggests that gated communities have transitioned historically from
7 protecting private estates to targeting a much broader market, including families with children. Low takes this principle a step further by stating that the shift to gated residential developments is a result of “…mirroring changes in social values that accompany rapid globalization” which directly effects how individuals define and envision neighborhood space (Low 45, 1977). She argues that this retreat to private space is due to the discourse of urban fear. In chapter six "Questionnaires" I will test this claim to see if residents are choosing to reside within gated communities to seek security or privacy.
Low focuses on the redefining of neighborhood space as a result of fear and distance rather than Bartling’s interpretation of urban development. Low states that gated communities distance themselves from urban America due to their anti-urban sentiment.
This outlook is often is expressed as a fear of the “other”, violence, and crime (Low 45,
1977). She further suggests that adding walls, gates, and guards produces a landscape that encodes class relations and residential (race/class/ethnic/gender) segregation more permanently in the built environment (Low 45, 1997).
Jill Grant and Gillad Rosen created a model of the interaction of global and local processes in producing gated communities. They believe a variety of factors play into the creation of this new type of neighborhood space that has successfully transformed how
Americans viewed neighborhood (See Figure 1) .
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Figure 1: A model of the interaction of global and local processes in producing gated communities (Grant and Rosen, 2009, 577)
From this visual we are able to see the multitude of factors, both local and global, that are required to produce gated communities. In order for the concept of a gated community to exist there must be a shift in consumers desire and concerns, economic and political support, as well as regulatory laws to support a private self-governing space.
Through the works of Grant and Rosen, Bartling, and Low we see the factors that influence why individuals have re-defined neighborhood space.
9 What is a Gated Community?
Having a solid understanding of gated communities is important because they are the basis for my research. This foundation begins by defining gated community, as a term, and how it will be used throughout my research. According to Vesselinov,
Cazessus, and Falk a gated community is considered to be a "residential area that is enclosed by walls, fences, or landscaping that provides a physical barrier to entry. Access to GCs is restricted, not only to personal residences, but also to streets, sidewalks, and neighborhood amenities" (Vesselinov 112). Low, author of Behind the Gates: Life,
Security, and the Pursuit of Happiness and Fortress America, has a similar definition: “A gated community is a residential development surrounded by walls, fenced, or earth banks covered with bushes and shrubs, with a secured entrance… the houses, streets, sidewalks, and other amenities are physically enclosed by these barriers and entrance gates are operated by a guard”(Low 12).
Vesselinov also mentions that gated communities are characterized by having
"self-governing homeowner associations where elected boards oversee the common property and establish covenants, conditions, and restrictions as part of the deed"
(Vesselinov 112). These forms of private government will be discussed in further detail when discussing the privatization of space. By examining the desire to reside within gated communities I hope to see why individuals are choosing to move away from public space to create a life secluded from "others".
10 Gated Community Trends
Gated communities originated in the United States and have consequently spread to other parts of the world. Glasze, Webster, Frantz, Low, and Lemanski argue that the spread is growing due to a fear of crime (see Glasze, Webster, Frantz 2006; Low 2003;
Lemanski 2010). By recreating neighborhood space, gated communities obtain many traits: partnerships, enclosure, exclusivity, and safety.
Enclosure is a popular characteristic of gated communities, as seen when defining a gated community. Blakely and Snyder claim that,
“[g]ated communities, one of the more dramatic forms of residential boundaries, have been springing up around the country since the early 1900s. Millions of Americans have chosen to live in walled and fenced communal residential space that was previously integrated with the larger shared civic space” (Blakely and Snyder, 1997, 1).
In this quote Blakely and Snyder argue that gated communities act as a “barrier between themselves [American elite] and everyone else” (Blakely and Snyder, 1997, 74). This claim reflects the trend of privatization of space where individuals are choosing to move away from the public realm into private space.
Lemanski also touches upon the idea of enclosure in her article on gated communities (Lemanski 2012). Lemanski discusses how privatized space has become a dominant urban trend within the past 30 years and creates an analogy which compares residential gated communities to militarized space. She states that "electrified fences, impenetrable walls, and armed security... [aim to] protect and secure residential zones... from the dangerous outside world"(Lemanski, 2010, 290). This statement reflects the
11 hypothesis that privatization of space is due to fear. In chapter six "Questionnaires" I will test to see if individuals who live within gated communities moved for safety.
Exclusivity is also a prominent trend when discussing gated communities. Earlier ethnographic research seems to show that for the most part gated communities are exclusive oases of wealth and privilege (Blakely & Snyder, 1997; Low, 2003).
Vesselinov, Cazessus, and Falk use demographic data to show that on average both owners and renters in gated communities possess advantages in household income, home value, and housing characteristics over individuals who reside in non-gated communities.
Blakely and Snyder agree that gated communities tend to reflect higher income individuals which create an "...aura of exclusivity" (Blakely and Snyder 75) within the community. They state, "prestige communities feed on exclusion and on the status aspirations of the well-to-do and upwardly mobile "(Blakely and Snyder 75). In general,
“…image is of primary importance; their gates denote a barrier of status” (Blakely and
Snyder 75). I hypothesize that exclusivity is a main factor for individuals to choose to reside within gated communities. Chapter six "Questionnaires" will see which factors are most important to gated community results and I will use respondents demographic information to see if they obtain in economic advantage.
The last trend is that gated communities off a sense, or false sense of, security.
Lemanski notes that “explanations for the rise of gated communities differ significantly according to local and regional contexts, but factors such as rising violent crime and decreased confidence in public security are common rationalizations" (Lemanski 291).
As a result, "the global spread of gated communities is partly driven by the construction and security industries, promoting a public discourse of fear related to the risks of urban
12 life, which they allege can be ameliorated through the secure environment of a gated community" (Lemanski 292). In this statement Lemanski suggests that those involved in the creation of gated communities create a public discourse of fear. In chapter five
"Interviews" I ask the ways in which developers, those involved in the creation of these communities, convince buyers to choose gated communities to test this claim.
Through participation, questionnaires, and interviews I examine these trends present throughout gated communities to see how they influence individuals motivations and desire for live in gated communities.
Controversy behind the Gates
There are numerous publications discussing the controversy of gating. Gated communities have been described as anywhere from a reinvention of segregation (see
Calderia, Glasze, Webster, Frantz) to offering increased property values and less crime.
In this subsection I review the positives and negatives of gating, and what current literature has to say about it.
Gated communities are controversial entities when considering how community, space, and the idea of the neighborhood are defined (Blakely and Snyder, 1997).
Throughout my research I discovered that gated communities are either justified or criticized. Academics conclude that for residents, the motivations to desire to reside within gated communities are justified by claiming that they offer an escape from urban
America. The gates act as a refuge that offers privacy, seclusion, exclusivity, and even safety. However, for outsiders gated communities pose a threat to our already fragile
13 social and economic structure by physically separating themselves with enclosed walls, gates, and security guards.
Le Groix and Webster discuss the positive outcomes of gating from a research- based academic perspective. They use the works of Burke (2001), Artlas and Leblanc
(1994), Bible and Hsieh (2001), and Lacour-Little and Malpezzi (2001), to create a three- point argument in support of gating. The first point states that gating diverts traffic by altering travel behavior (Burke 2001). The area surrounding the gate becomes socially known as private space where people avoid travelling through the community. Point two states that gating "frequently contributes to a decrease in burglaries and larcenies" (Artlas and Leblanc 1994). This claim seems reasonable; any street with restricted access would seem to increase the difficulty of committing a crime. Third, gated communities "produce noticeably positive effects on property values within the gates (Bible and Hsieh 2001,
Lacour-Little and Malpezzi 2001). Le Groix argues that property values of homes in gated communities are consistently higher than similar homes in non-gated nearby neighborhoods. Le Groix and Webster note that a study done by LaCour-Little and
Malpezzi confirm this claim by proving that homes within gated communities command roughly 26% higher premium than homes in non-gated communities (Le Groix and
Webster, 2008).
Although Le Groix and Webster argue that there are positive aspects of gating academics such as Vesselinov, Blakely and Snyder, and Low seem to disagree.
Vesselinov states, "while the developers and corporations producing GCs continuously re-emphasize these elements, Blakely and Snyder (1997) forcefully argue that these three sets of beliefs are mostly myths". Low agrees by concluding that
14
“this retreat to secured enclaves with walls, gates, and guards materially and symbolically contradicts American ethos and values, threatens public access to open space, and creates yet another barrier to social interaction, building of social networks, as well as increased tolerance of diverse cultural, racial, and social groups” (Low 45).
Here, Low argues that gating intentionally separates individuals by creating social division between varying people. Lemanski's argument coincides with that of Low by stating that gated communities support the exclusion of individuals and create fragmentation of the public space (Lemanski, 2010).
Caldeira, Le Goix, and Low take these arguments a step further by stating that gated communities reinvent segregation and transform public life (Calderia, 2000). In a study of gated communities in Texas and New York, Low points out that participants who lived in gated communities had a fear of "others", which justified moving into a gated community. This belief poses a threat to society where concerns over ethnicity and social order come into play. Le Goix states "restrictive covenants and property value limit potential candidates for homeownership. The result is neighborhood homogenization by wealth, age, race, and status" (Le Goix 14). Caldeira argues that gating results in a decline of open-access public space and is detrimental to the poorest social classes.
Gated Communities As Privately Governed Space
Grant and Rosen, authors of Armed Compounds and Broken Arms: The Cultural
Production of Gated Communities, showcase the global processes that effect the production of gated communities (Grant and Rosen, 2009). They discuss the rise of gated communities and how they function as private self-governing entities. When community
15 space becomes private, the community becomes an institution that is responsible for self- governing and maintaining its own amenities, facilities, etc.
Glasze, Webster, and Frantz argue that gated communities function as public- private partnerships in their publication Private Cities: Global and Local Perspectives.
They state,
"Theoretically speaking, gated communities are private areas entitled to provide public services privately...Since these communities tend to be self-contained areas and function based on maintenance fees, local governments are not expected to provide many services. Meanwhile, municipalities collect property taxes and grant autonomy to the private neighborhoods' governing boards. It may be a public-private partnership, but certainly not an easy one" (Glasze, Webster, and Frantz, 2006, 88).
Here, they state that gated communities act as private entities with their own form of private government and regulation. Although this may be true through the use of homeowner associations I question whether the potential to govern your community influences an individual’s decision when deciding if they wish to reside within a gated community.
In Vesselinov's study on "Gated Communities and Spacial Inequality, she mentions how gated communities privatize space for their own purposes and the consequences that result (Vesselinov 2007). She creates a unique argument that parallels
Glasze’s claim: as private institutions gated communities become primarily responsible for regulating "public goods". This means that services normally regulated by municipal, or town, governments must be provided by the gated community. Now, services such as cable or water, which are public goods, are transferred to a nonpublic entity where it
16 becomes part of private space. The public good is now lawfully owned as private space and can be customized to serve specific interests (Blakely and Snyder).
As a result of absorbing public goods into private spaces, gated communities take away from public space. When space becomes privatized Blakely and Snyder argue that,
"private spaces become acutely homogenized places, contributing to the spatial stratification of the urban landscape". As a result, social classification becomes present and non-residents are excluded and repelled from the private space.
Summary
Many articles and publications focus on gating as a phenomenon. They view it as controversial, having positive or negative effects, and attribute its rapid popularization to a variety of factors that have been discussed. In contrast, instead of looking at surface factors such as privacy and exclusivity I determine the motivation and desire to create and live within gated communities. An understanding of what a gated community is, its characteristics, and how it has transformed views of home life will allow me to do this. In addition the spatial analysis discussed here highlights how gated communities function as private spaces within the context of urban inequality.
17 CHAPTER FOUR: TEXT ANALYSIS
Throughout my research I hypothesized that marketing materials and advertisements have a major impact on an individual's decision to reside within a gated community. In order to test this claim I performed discourse and content analysis on the materials and brochures that gated communities give to individuals and realtors to promote their community to determine the manner in which the advertisements attempt to entice potential buyers. By using text analysis I closely studied the language used in the text of three specific gated community's marketing materials to see if their claims match up with the responses gained from interviews and questionnaires.
New Rural Community
The first gated community under examination is New Rural Community. It is a unique property that sits on 2000 acres of beautiful, pristine land outside of Orlando,
Florida and promotes a relatively new trend for brand new construction communities called new ruralism. Typically, developers zone land to have small lot sizes so they can optimize the number of new homes being constructed at their project in order to maximize profit. New ruralism, often known as agrarian lifestyle developments, supports the notion of land. The goal is to provide new buyers with large, private land sites with open, natural, untouched spaces complete with full amenities that are typical of a gated country club community.
When potential buyers make an appointment to visit the community a real estate agent gives the client a beautiful hardcover book full of pictures, maps, and text that tells
18 them why they need to buy into this lifestyle. Since the community is currently undeveloped the advertising is crucial to sell the vision of the developer.
The brochure opens with a breathtaking aerial shot of the land showing its future potential as a high end gated community surrounded by pristine lakes and untouched land with a quote from the developer:
"sustainable development is the key to this new thinking. That means looking at a neighborhood and a community as a system that must be in balance with its environment to survive and prosper. Here the needs of people, animals, plants and land are all met without exceeding the capacity of the natural resources and surrounding infrastructure".
This statement attempts to entice potential buyers who desire a rural lifestyle outside of the bustling city and who care about their footprint on the environment by using language that supports this belief system. By using words such as desire to not exceed the capacity of natural resources and meeting the needs of people, animals, and plants it tells the client that the community cares about the environment with a goal of not overusing natural resources.
Figure 1: Ariel shot of community
19 The following pages of the brochure discuss the master plan and overhead of the community at large. This shows buyers the overall layout of the community: how the land will be divided into lots, where future homes will be built, and where the amenities will be located. The marketing team breaks down the master plan into three simple key elements to show buyers that the land alone will always be valuable. They want clients to think of this purchase as an investment for their future. Point one discusses the lands' historical value: “located in the rolling hills of Central Florida the property has tremendous historical value. Prior to prohibition, the area was an agricultural region… re- adapting the region as a thriving center has a proven historical precedent, which will allow for tremendous media opportunities on a local, national and international basis and will appeal to both sophisticated locals and travelers alike”. By showcasing the land as a center for future thriving industries the developers want to convince buyers that the proposed use of their property will provide income streams and garner media attention throughout the world.
The second point discusses depressed land value to demonstrate to buyers why the land is a good investment.
“the economic downturn and especially in the luxury home market, the developed lots can be acquired at tremendous value. Investors will have an opportunity to gain accelerated appreciation as a result of a timely implementation of the re- purposed business model”.
In this case the developer is using the economic recession as a selling point. Prior to the recession golf lots were sold between $500,000 to $1,000,000 and estate lots ranged from
$1,000,000 to $2,000,000 for land anywhere from 1-4 acres in size. Now that the new developer has acquired the land at a fraction of the original selling price, potential buyers
20 have the opportunity to buy land at a depressed value with guaranteed appreciation.
Again, the marketing is attempting to reassure buyers that the land is a reliable investment for the future.
The third point of the master plan concentrates on location. Being located in
Central Florida the gated community is located in a major tourist market. Its proximity is close to Disney World, Universal Studios, and Sea World and has easy access to major highways and two international airports. The brochure states:
“With the Orlando area hosting over 50 million visitors annually the new community will benefit directly. Tourists traditionally spend more freely, many adults are seeking an alternative to the overcrowded and overrated theme parks and statistics show that decisions concerning second and retire home are often made while homeowners are on vacation”.
This statement is focused towards all buyers whether it concerns a first, second, or even third residence. If you already reside within the area the marketing is attempting to convince you need you need to buy into new ruralism. It offers residents an escape from the "overcrowded" city giving them the chance to live in a tranquil lake-side country club community which offers large, private lots while only being twenty minutes from all the city has to offer. For non-Florida residents and investors the location is used as the focal selling point of the community.
Figure 2: Media showcasing location and proximity to an international airport and theme parks.
21 The master plan concludes by reiterating that the land will always hold value due its location, limited density, referring to large private lots, one’s ability to purchase a lot at a discounted price with a guaranteed appreciation in value, and lastly having local government supports.
“A county where the city commission is pro-environmental will facilitate the zoning, permit process and other development issues. While actively seeking to increase its tax base and to preserve its agriculture and horticulture heritage, the opportunity to accomplish and capitalize on these goals is unprecedented. Adhering to the Eco-friendly, the newly established Florida based LEAD program and certification will also provide tax incentives and expanding media interest in the build out”.
The rest of the brochure outlines an overview of the community to show buyers the currently existing infrastructure, amenities, and proposed future additions. The community is tagged as “beautiful, functional and profitable”. The original developer, who had an incredible vision and spared no expense when developing this pristine spectacular tract of land, constructed the existing components which consist of:
“a luxurious, multi-million dollar, authentic Italian “Tuscan Style” Club House, replete with a European Spa, White Linen Restaurant, Meeting Centers, a Bell Tower, and much more…an 18-hole championship golf course meanders through the surrounding, hilly terrain offering stunning views of lakes and the skyline of downtown Orlando… bike paths, hiking areas and a pedestrian walkway system consisting of miles of colorful oversized paved sidewalks and golf paths throughout the entire community without the use of any asphalt or poured concrete… oversized parcels of fertile land. Many include stunning panoramas, views of the lake and the spectacular Tuscan style clubhouse and golf course… a state-of-the-art water and sewer system with plant, a private 300-acre spring fed lake, and close access to topnotch private schools and academies”.
The proposed additions show architectural sketches and maps of where future amenities will be constructed. The developer plans a resort-style pool with snack bar, tennis courts, and gym to be constructed with lake views by mid-2013. In 2014 the
22 inclusion of a 5-star luxury boutique hotel resort and conference center will be constructed. Lastly, maps are shown on how the land is being distributed for both golf and estate lots, their location, and future prices. By using language that supports future development buyers become aware that the new developer will continue improving the community and increase what it offers to its residents.
Figure 3 (clockwise): couple at the vineyard, spa, golf course, and clubhouse.
The thick description and imagery used to showcase the current and future amenity features are used as a platform to depict a fantasy lifestyle. The text is constructed in second-person tense where the reader is directly addressed in a very
23 personal manner. As a reader you feel that the developer is talking directly to you and is trying to sell you this incredible lifestyle that would be impossible to pass up. Imagery is used to provide vision for what your life could be like if you chose to buy and build a property within the community. For example, figure 3 shows a man golfing alone on a sand trap-laded course, a couple sipping wine and having a romantic picnic on the rolling vineyard hills, and a woman getting a lake-side massage in a private five star spa. The marketing appeals to pathos where it attempts to persuade the individual that the community is a premier destination designed around their ideal lifestyle.
The marketing materials are solely based on lifestyle and location within a premier upscale gated community. They do not include any information regarding price and other factors that one would consider before making a costly investment. The community is extremely upscale; home prices will range anywhere from $1,000,000 to
$20,000,000. By not providing any detailed financial information, it seems that the developer wants to make the community accessible to only the top end of the market. All of the features and amenities that are discussed, such as the grand clubhouse, restaurants, spa, hotel, and security, are very costly to maintain. This means that the fees to reside in the community will be astronomical due to the cost of the required club membership, its annual renewal fees, quarterly homeowner association fees, as well as the cost of the land and construction of a home. According to the marketing financials are of no issue when an individual choose to reside within this community; it is all about the “ideal”, as depicted by the developer and their marketing team, lifestyle.
24 The Disney Community
The second gated community is also located in Orlando, Florida and is a project developed by Walt Disney Resort, giving the community is a unique tie to the theme parks. Disney claims that the community is “a world apart, yet a part of it all” giving future homeowners a chance to live and take part of all that encompasses Disney World while being located in a private one-of-a-kind resort community. Disney’s says the community will be “a private retreat for its residents, offering dedicated concierge-style resident services, inviting amenities and events at the Summerhouse clubhouse, and a unique opportunity to experience the many things Disney has to offer…close proximity to superlative restaurants, full-service spa, event space and a championship golf course designed by Tom Fazio”. Here, the marketing is catered towards families who want VIP access to Disney perks but want to live in an upscale gated country club community.
The community overview brochure describes the community as one that
“celebrate[s] the timelessness of Old World and Old Florida architecture while being attuned to contemporary resort living”. The text is purely descriptive; they want buyers to know the facts about the project while appearing credible. The text appeals to ethos where it mentions the word "old" twice in relation to contemporary. This shows buyers that the developer's vision is to create a visually timeless community that offers progressive services to its residents. An artist rendering is given to visually illustrate the community so potential buyers can see how the land will be separated into four distinct neighborhoods (see Figure 4). The materials state to anticipate approximately 450 homes starting from $1,600,000. The community is designed to appeal to high-end consumers that want a relatively small, private gated community.
25
Figure 4: Architectural sketch of the community master plan
When describing the master plan the authors chose language that supports the notion that the community is unique, unspoiled, and flawless. They use repetition to reiterate that in order to achieve this, attention was given to even the most subtle detail:
“every detail was subjected to rigorous analysis to ensure it supports the overall theme of the community: a relaxed yet sophisticated retreat for families and guests”. They discuss the pathways, footbridges, parks, and gardens designed throughout the community and even make mention of the native materials used throughout construction and the detail that went into the naming of the neighborhoods. The text used was chosen to promote the idea that Disney has spared no expense created the ultimate community.
The following half of the marketing materials discusses the “experience” one would have as a resident within the community. The advertising showcases the community’s location and unique ties to Disney as their main selling feature. The gated community is located approximately 25 minutes from downtown Orlando and only three
26 miles from Walt Disney World parks. The marketing promotes city amenities being available to residents while offering the seclusion and privacy of a gated country club community. Aside from the private social and recreational club, the brochure presents information about the local shopping, dining, beaches, schools, arts and culture, health, worship, and sports and recreation that all located only a few miles away. The text again is purely descriptive and informational, but provides potential buyers with peace of mind knowing a wealth of entertainment is near.
The remainder of the marketing materials focus on the experience of this community. The brochure states that,
“community life revolves around exceptional and enriching family experiences. As a resident, your choices to create them are plentiful, with inviting amenities, activities and events, concierge-style resident services and Disney park offerings”.
By using words such as “exceptional” and “enriching” the advertising is trying to reach a niche market that desires a family-based community. They then attempt to interest buyers by using words such as plentiful and inviting when referencing amenities that are available to members of the community.
The goal seems to be selling what Disney thinks is the “ideal” lifestyle for an upper-class community that families should desire. Specifically, the marketing material promotes the Disney connection.
“The Disney Connection is our residents’ go-to resource for creating an ideal Walt Disney World Resort experience. From the theme parks, water parks, golf and in-park special events to dedicated transportation, merchandise discounts and more, the Disney Connection allows residents to indulge in an expansive array of resort offerings and services”.
27 In this passage the language used convinces customers that by buying into this community they are receiving the ultimate family resort living with perks such as extra hours and transportation to the parks. The marketing uses imagery to remind clients why they should buy into this community.
Figure 5: Disney connection
Ultimately, the marketing wants families to think living in this community is an extension of life at Disney. Figure 5 shows images of a family at various theme parks to remind buyers of this connection. The materials for this community promote family values and a fantasy lifestyle--- in reality where can you live in a private upscale gated community connected to Disney? As the text says, it is truly “one of a kind”.
28 Upscale Green Community
The third gated community that I am examining focuses its advertising materials towards individuals who want a country club lifestyle. The marketing materials are designed by the developer to showcase the community’s amenities such as having 36- holes of “magnificent golf and incredible practice facilities”, both designed by famous golfers and home to international tournaments, a grand clubhouse, sports complex, pool, and two restaurants. The club’s amenities are described as “beautiful”, “private”, “state- of-the-art”, and “tranquil”. The adjectives aim to appeal to an ideal, utopic-like community in attempt to sell a lifestyle to potential buyers.
Images of the Grand Clubhouse are shown to support the high-end upscale environment being described. The club “offers members an array of year-round entertainment and dining” having a casual grille room for daily lunch and dinner specials and an upscale main dining room for weekly themed events throughout the season. The description of the dining options allows potential buyers to visualize themselves partaking in daily life at the Club. Noting that there are both casual and upscale options encourages readers to become aware of the club’s diverse dining options by showing that the Club is a place of pleasure open throughout the entire day. In addition to describing the dining the brochure makes mention of the fact that a “club concierge is on staff to assist members”. This statement reflects the community's desire to appeal to high-end clientele offering retreat-like services where members and residents can have the club perform a range of services to make individuals lives easier.
29 Aside from dining and activities at the Club the brochure describes the sports complex which members have access to. The sports complex features “a multipurpose field and greenspace, playground, gazebo, basketball courts, recreation building, 15 clay tennis courts, a state-of-the-art fitness facility, an aerobics studio, locker and steam rooms, a tranquil spa, and a pool deck [which] features private cabanas, a whirlpool, and a salt water pool with lap lanes”. The descriptive adjectives again play into the idyllic vision of a club that makes readers aware of all the amenities they have access to if they choose to reside within the gated community. The brochure also makes note of
“concierge [being] available to assist” with the arranging of private lessons, activities, or general concerns. By making repeat textual references of this service readers are encouraged to feel that they would receive an individual-level of attention and care as residents of this gated community.
The other marketing material discusses the community’s “commitment to the environment”. As a certified Audubon International Cooperative Sanctuary the community is an “award-winning education and certification program that helps golf courses protect our environment and preserve the natural heritage of the game of golf. By helping people enhance the valuable natural areas and wildlife habitats that golf courses provide, improve efficiency, and minimize potentially harmful impacts of golf course operations, the program serves as vital resource for golf courses". The goal of the passage in the brochure is to advertise the community’s pledge to apply sustainable resource management practices and green efforts in effect long-term on their property. Becoming
"green" is a relatively new trend in the real estate industry and by making mention of the club’s green standards the developer hopes to appeal to buyers with environmental
30 interest. The brochure's imagery of the wildlife, lake, and preserve areas are used to connect buyers to the property in hope to create a desire to reside there.
Figure 6: Map to showcase the club's recycling efforts, natural land and aquatic environments, and diverse wildlife.
The last portion of marketing material given to potential buyers and realtors in this community discusses the club’s membership categories and pricing. The information begins by discussing the application process to the club where the buyer must be approved at least 30 days before closing and must sign an executed contract and club addendum. There are countless rules and fees associated with the application process.
The goal of making mention of these explicit details is to ensure the community’s exclusivity and upscale environment. They are catering to a specific demographic and are excluding the majority of average citizens by the use of these inclusions. The community offers two types of memberships: golf equity and sports equity. The buyer is required to pick one membership type to purchase in addition to their home. The golf equity costs
31 $130,000 with $17,000 annual dues and includes “unlimited use of all amenities”. The sports equity membership costs $90,000 with $10,000 annual dues and includes access to all amenities aside from golf privileges. In this section the text is purely factual. Detailed description of each type of membership was given to outline the perks and benefits available to the purchaser. Adjectives such as “unlimited” and “limited” are used to bring attention to the level of use a member has to specific facilities.
Figure 7: Detailed description of each type of membership
32 For example, a full equity member has the ability to have complementary bag storage after a round of golf whereas a social member does not. Ultimately, the text is upfront about the financial cost required to reside within the community to ensure that it maintains its original vision and environment.
In order to determine the motivation and desire to reside behind the gates it is important to look at the factors that may influence this decision. Text analysis has allowed me to see how gated community's portray themselves to the public by using language and imagery to attract specific niche clientele. Each community focuses on exclusive features, whether it's environmentally friendly or offers extravagant amenities, to interest high-end consumers. Text analysis has shown how gated community's attempt to convince buyers to reside behind their gates . I will determine whether or not marketing successfully influences this decision Chapter Six.
33 CHAPTER FIVE: INTERVIEWS
In order to determine the motivation and desire behind gated communities I have had a series of conversations with the individuals involved in the creation of these communities. In this section I present my findings and analysis from interviews conducted with those involved in the construction industry. The goal of the interviews was to determine how these individuals progressed into the real estate industry and why these individuals chose to focus their business on the creation of gated communities, why they believe gated communities are on the rise and what they believe gated communities have to offer to high-end residential buyers.
General Contractor
General Contractor identifies himself as, "a general contractor who specializes in high end homes". He is an upscale residential homebuilder who owns his own company based out of West Palm Beach, Florida. His business has specialized in multimillion dollar gated private residences and oceanfront construction for the past 30 years. I met
General Contractor through an academic internship where I was able to work with him and his company during the summer two years ago. I wanted to interview him based on his extensive knowledge in the real estate industry as a builder who obtains a great local reputation. I wanted to see what he, as a person who builds homes for high-end clients, believed the motivations are for creating gated communities.
When asked how he got into the business he stated, "pretty much by accident. I had originally moved to Florida to work in another company and that job did not work
34 out. I then chose building because that was really the main industry in the area at the time". This trend was paralleled when I asked him if his business focused on gated communities. He stated "...most high-end houses are built in gated communities so that is where our focus is". It seems that General Contractor chose to build homes within gated communities because there was a growing demand to live behind the gates. Altering the concentration of his business became an economic decision for the propriety of his company.
As our conversation shifted from discussing the focus of his business towards discussing gated communities specifically General Contractor said that he believed exclusivity, lifestyle, and security were the top three reasons behind the gated community trend. He said,
"Most of our high end clientele want to build a custom home. That is not indicative of many buyers. I would say most buyers would like to buy a home that is already built or choose to rennovate one that is already built. These people want a community that is exclusive, has security, and provides a certain kind of lifestyle. Most gated communities have amenities like a clubhouse and golf course".
When it comes to marketing and advertising he does not believe that you need to convince a buyer to buy into this way of life: "I do not believe you need to convince consumers to buy into the community; they usually know what they are looking for".
When asked which factors play a role in the creation and or marketing of gated community General Contractor said "exclusivity, security, privacy, amenities, and location". Since General Contractor mentioned "security" and "privacy" I was curious if gated community residents were interested in creating social relationships within their private enclave. When prompted about gated communities offering a sense of community
35 he stated, "[m]any people aren't looking to feel a sense of community. If their community happens to be a country club it is limited to social dinners or playing bridge". Based on his response I concluded that residents aren't interested in residing behind the gates to promote a social environment.
As we concluded our discussion General Contractor said, "having the exclusivity and way of life brings the values up on the homes and really is the only way to truly build high-end". I concluded that his motivation for building homes in gated communities is due to market trends where there is a growing interest to reside within gated communities. It is solely a business choice in hopes to create a prosperous future for his company.
Office Manager
Office Manager works for a high-end residential builder that is based out of
Southern Florida. Her office "focuses on custom construction in gated and ocean front properties". She is in charge of working with customers to estimate and bid out the cost of their future home while dealing with all the associated paperwork that comes with each job. I met Office Manager through a networking opportunity where I was introduced to her business and thought she would be a wonderful resource due to her position and local reputation. I chose to interview Office Manager because I was interested in having an insider's perspective. Instead of only talking to visionaries, the builders and developers who create the actual homes and gated communities, Office Manager deals with the actual creation. Therefore, she could offer an interesting perspective on the gated community trend.
36 When asked how she got into the real estate industry she stated "when I moved down to Florida in 1990 I went to a temporary agency and they gave me a job at X Estate
Homes. I never knew anything about the building business. The company hired me after
90 days of working. From that moment on I knew the building business chose me and I began learning the process of building homes from the ground up". It seems that Office
Manager also chose her career based off of market trends. When prompted specifically about building within gated communities to counter my assumption she said, "[w]e are a building company. We build residential custom homes and some commercial building wherever needed. It just so happens to be that gated communities are where people with money want to live so that is where we build".
As I shifted the interview to focus on gated communities specifically I asked her to list the top three reasons why she believes there is a desire to create and reside within gated communities. Her responses were "safety, grooming, and privacy". She said "...the client knows what they want. Aside from the price range people want to live in a safe place that looks beautiful and gives you privacy. Kind of like a retreat after a long day at work". When asked which factors play a role in the creation of gated communities she said "our clients want to live in communities that are exclusive, safe, private, are in a prime location, has amenities, and beautiful surroundings". She disagreed that clients have to be convinced to buy into this way of life "... because that's what they [clients] are already looking for".
She concluded by stating, "developers create these types of communities because it's what people want". This response parallels the interview with General Contractor who also believes there is a growing market for gated communities. It seems that her company
37 chooses to build where they can, which happens to be gated communities. This statement supports the notion of gated communities gaining popularity due to individual's desire to reside behind the gates.
Project Manager
Project Manager works as a project manager where he supervises on-site construction at jobsites. He works for a high-end custom homebuilder in Southern Florida that specializes in "selling homes, building homes, and creating communities". Project
Manager works on construction jobs from start to finish where he transforms dirt to reality. I chose to interview him because his direct, hands-on knowledge would provide an interesting perspective on the gated community trend.
When asked how he got into real estate he stated, "I started as an apprentice carpenter, progressed to carpenter, foreman, superintendent, and ultimately became a general contractor running my own corporation". When I asked why he chose to be in the real estate industry he claimed "mostly the availability to get work and the money". Now that I had an understanding of his background I wanted to know his take on the gated community trend. When I asked if his business focuses on gated communities he simply said "yes". I followed up by asking why his company made that business decision where he said "...because it is easier to get sales and it gives you the ability to work on many homes in the same community, which allows for easier supervision". His response indicates that it is easier to find jobs in gated communities because you can get multiple jobs in the same gated community. I learned that gated communities typically only allow pre-selected builders to construct homes within their community. This means that
38 builders have a higher chance of building more homes in a gated community because residents can only choose from a select few. This corresponds to information from the previous interviews, when General Contractor and Office Manager supported the notion that there is a present growing trend where potential buyers want to reside within gated communities.
Shifting our conversation to gated communities specifically, Project Manager believed that "location, price range, and amenities" are the top three reasons as to why there is a growing trend to live within gated communities. He said, "most people want to build their home or if the home is not their only residence something they will feel comfortable living in. All factors play a role to different degrees for different people but I think most people want to live somewhere that's safe, beautiful, has amenities, and is located in a prime area". When asked what his motivation was to create a gated community he said, "to provide a secure higher level of quality of living". The wording in this response intrigued me because it replicates the belief that a gated community offers a higher quality of living that is found in countless marketing and advertising materials. It plays into the exclusivity factor where people want to live in a place that's "better" than the so-called traditional neighborhood. His response supports the claim that there is a demand for gated communities.
Custom Builder
Custom Builder comes from a long line of family builders. He owns his own ultra high-end building company that is based in Orlando, Florida. His business focuses on completely custom one-of-a-kind multi-million dollar private residential homes. I met
39 Custom Builder through a realtor at one of the communities I examined in the Text
Analysis chapter where he is currently a selected builder for their estate lot section and was highly recommended as a source for informational interviews.
When asked how and why he got into the real estate industry he said, "I am a fourth generation builder, so I guess you could say it was in my blood. I tailored my school curriculum to best serve me for my future in this industry. When I got out of college I applied to a local construction company to bring me into an apprenticeship program. I was offered a four year apprenticeship as a stone mason and that is how I began". When asked what the focus of his business is he said, "I personally focus on marketing our companies in an effort to generate business building high end custom homes". When asked about gated communities he said "No, I do not focus on gated communities, but gated communities seem to offer a greater sense of security for high- end home owners. It was not a top priority for me but it seems that it's what buyers these days want". This statement confirms that high-end potential buyers do in fact want gated communities and Custom Builder was forced to tailor his business to this growing need.
When I asked Custom Builder to list the top three reasons behind the gated community trend he said, "[m]ore control of a community by the developer, owners feel the communities are more exclusive and as a result lead to higher property values, inside a gate rather than outside. They also give the owners a personal sense of security". When
I asked him to further explain what he meant by developer control he said "there are usually more restrictions in a gated community than outside due to ARB and HOA restrictions". In these communities property owners can only build according to specific guidelines. It seems that these guidelines can lead to homogenization but in the case of
40 Custom Builder his business only builds in gated communities that allow for completely custom home design. He mentions the owners twice, reflecting his claim that owners dictate market trends and that he was forced to adapt his business in order to maintain financial prosperity.
When asked factors that influence the creation and marketing of gated communities Custom Builder believes that exclusivity, security, privacy, surroundings, amenities, and location "play an important role in the promotion of a gated community".
In order to convince consumers to buy into this way of life he said, "you show them the value of living in a gated community, show them the lifestyle and added security. Show them that you personally believe in the community". According to my previous interviews the consensus seemed to be that the community sells itself; in contrast Custom
Builder believed you need to show them the value of living in a gated community first.
Once buyers see what gated communities have to offer they desire the lifestyle.
He concluded by stating that he believed the motivation behind creating gated communities is "Money. You can get better financial use from the land and create a better tax base for the community as a whole". His responses seemed to be more geared towards economic profits rather than playing into current market trends. However, he builds in gated communities not due to choice, but due to consumer demand.
Developer
Developer always dabbled in real estate throughout her career as a licensed psychiatrist. After moving to Florida she decided to open a construction company after receiving her general contractor license. As a developer her business is responsible for
41 the creation of communities. Her company in particular owns several country club communities, golf courses, and land that will be turned into both commercial and real estate parcels within the next decade. It was vital that I interview her based off her extensive knowledge and expertise in the field. Most importantly, I wanted to determine if and why she builds gated communities.
When asked how and why she made the career change she stated, "I was always interested in looking at houses, in particular new construction. When moving to Florida the industry was booming so I decided to start a business". Today, her company has grown; she has offices in both central and south Florida and focuses on investing, development, and high-end custom construction for individual clients. When asked where she builds homes she said, "[i]nitially we were building spec homes in gated communities we were approved to build in. This meant going to meetings and being interviewed and selected by the developer. From the spec and model homes an on-site sales staff was
‘showing’ the homes and intention was to get build jobs within the community". When asked why she chose to build in gated communities from the start she said it was
"...a business decision. The majority of gated communities are on a golf course, have clubhouses and provide security. I believe these three factors are a big draw for home buyers. For example, even if a family does not play golf they may still like the beauty of living on the golf course. It's what people in my regions want so that is what I do".
This statement reflects Developer's belief that gated communities are where people want to live. She chose to begin her business building homes within gated communities because the growing demand would allow her to grow her company in a prosperous direction.
42 As the conversation directed specifically to gated communities I asked why people want to build homes within gated communities. She said,
"[w]ith our company our experience has been one of a kind custom homes. I think most individuals feel there is exclusivity within the gated community and with that an assurance that neighbors will be other professionals and will also build a nice home and take care of their property. Aside from exclusivity and surroundings I believe having security and amenities play a role in selecting a community. Sales people [realtors] sell all of these factors".
Based off her statements I concluded that Developer believes exclusivity, security, amenities, and offering a lifestyle are the factors that influence an individual's decision to reside within a gated community. When I asked her if she feels the need to sell the gated community lifestyle to her clients she said,
"people come to us already knowing the community and have a good idea that this is what they want. It is more helping them choose a lot or more specifically designing a home that will work well on their lot they have already purchased. As a builder I like working within the gated community because you can be assured some percentage of customers will choose you to build their home. As a developer I like the gated community because they are generally large parcels of large which assures me X number of years of work. Gated communities are an easier sell than one individual piece of dirt to build just one house".
This statement supports Developer's claim to build in gated communities due to a business decision. If she becomes a selected builder she can be assured she will have work within the same community for years. I would argue that in the case of Developer gated communities act as a safety blanket because they allow her to not always be looking for future work. She believes that people want to reside behind the gates and supports this decision for the success of her business.
43 Interview Summary:
I chose to conduct five interviews with the individuals above based on their role within the real estate industry. Typically, small samples come with possible problems such as lacking representation and bias. I feel that the individuals that were interviewed were a good representation of the real estate industry and were not biased towards advocating gated communities. Instead, they relayed their personal and business experiences with gated communities and provided their belief as to why there is a growing trend to reside in and create a gated community. I chose these five specific individuals to offer diverse responses in order to offer representation. Each individual I interviewed was selected based on their role within the community to see if trends were present throughout the different facets of the business. I selected two builders, a developer, a field supervisor, and office manager were interviewed to determine the motivation to focus on building homes in/and creating gated communities.
Out of all the responses 100% of those interviewed said that their business focuses on gated communities not by choice but in response to existing demand. There is an acknowledged desire on the part of potential buyers to buy or build a home within a gated community. Based on my interviews with real estate professionals I concluded that they believed the top three reasons as to why gated communities are a growing trend were exclusivity, security, and having amenities. When it comes to creating and marketing gated communities the most common responses I was given were that gated communities offer exclusivity, security, privacy, amenities, and are mostly located in prime areas.
44 60% of interview responders said that gated communities are created to offer a higher quality of living. Specifically, offering potential buyers a specific lifestyle that includes having amenities, security, and other features. 40% of responders said that developers create gated communities for financial gain. When it comes to market trends
40% claimed that gated communities sell themselves, whereas 60% said you have to show potential buyers what gated communities have to offer. My informants’ responses refute Lemanski's claim (see page 14 of this thesis) that developers create a public discourse of fear to convince residents that they need to live in a gated community for safety (Lemanski, 2010). Instead, they choose to build in gated communities to stay in business because that is where the majority of their clients want to live. In conclusion, based on the above interviews, gated communities are a market trend based on their financial gain to developers and by their ability to offer services to its residents.
45 CHAPTER SIX: QUESTIONNAIRE
In order to determine why individuals choose to reside behind the gates I need to discover the reasons that influenced their decision. I utilized questionnaires to administer a list of nineteen questions that asked individuals to respond about their personal experiences as to why they chose to live in a gated community. I formatted the questions through the use of Surveymonkey, an online tool, for ease of access. I met respondents from Southern and Central Florida through networking where I asked them to participate in my research through word of mouth. I collected twenty total responses and used the data from this sample to conclude why individuals are motivated to live in gated communities. From my participants one hundred percent of respondents said that they are currently living in a gated community. Therefore, I used these responses as valid indicators as to why people are choosing to live behind the gates.
On the questionnaire I asked participants to rank a list of commonly claimed motivations to live in a gated community. The factors included: exclusivity, security, privacy, surroundings (well-designed/kept landscaping, quiet, etc.), amenities, sense of community, location, and investment opportunity. They were asked to rank all motivations that applied to their personal decision to live within a gated community with
"1" being the motivation that was most important, "2" being the second most important, and so on for any motivations that applied to their decision. My purpose of asking this question was to find out the top three reasons why people chose to live in a gated community. Chart A illustrates the results showing that investment opportunity, sense of community, and exclusivity were the top three motivations to reside in a gated
46 community. I was surprised to see that security was low on the list considering many academics claim the gated trend is due to fear of crime (see Glasze, Webster, Frantz
2006, Low 2003, Lemanski 2010).
Table A: Column chart showing motivations to reside in a gated community
When I asked participants if there were any other motivations why they chose to live in their specific gated community that were not listed above four responses were given. Three individuals stated that they had family members living in the same gated community and one response was given where that individual wanted to live in a small gated community of high end homes that did not have the high fees associated with a golf
47 course country club community. Although these reasons are valid only four out of twenty individuals did not agree with the common motivations found in Chart A.
In addition, I asked participants to select from a list of sources that may have influenced their personal desire to live in a particular gated community. This question was designed to determine what outside factors play a role in an individual's selection of the gated community where they currently reside. 65% of responses selected realtor recommendations as well as friends and/or family member recommendations and/or experiences. In Chapter Four "Text Analysis" I examined the ways in which gated communities portray themselves to the public through marketing materials, such as brochures and other forms of advertisements to convince potential buyers to buy into their community. Yet only 15% of responses said that they were influenced by printed marketing materials and 20% were influenced by advertisements such as radio or television commercials. It seems that individuals are more inclined to make their decision based on recommendation and experience versus marketing materials.
In a separate question I asked participants if these same factors might affect a person's desire to live in a gated community in a general way. The results varied where
90% agreed that people, in general, would still select realtor and friends and/or family recommendations, however, 50% of respondents believe financial advisors’ recommendations would influence this decision and 60% believed in the effectiveness of marketing materials. When respondents described their personal motivations advertising had little influence over their decision to reside behind the gates. Conversely, the respondents believed that advertising, in general, is effective if a person is considering moving to a gated community.
48 The next grouping of questions focuses on determining the durability of gated communities. Are individuals rapidly converting to residing in gated communities as the trend suggests or have they always lived behind the gates? When I asked how long participants have lived in the house which they are currently living the majority of responses said "1-4 years". The same responses were given when asked how long they have lived in this same gated community. From this response I would assume that these individuals are recent converts to the gated community trend. However, 70% of respondents claimed that they have previously lived in another gated community which contradicts my previous claim. When asked how long they lived in the previous gated community the majority of responses said 5-9 years where even 25% of responses stated
10+ years.
Based on these responses it seems that the prominence and longevity of gated communities are not necessarily as new of a trend. The majority of my participants have resided behind the gates for years and are not necessarily moving into gated communities due to fear or an escape from public space. When individuals were asked to rank their top motivations to live in a gated community the second most common response given was to have a sense of community. This contradicts previous academic claims about gated community owners’ desires for privacy, security, and seclusion.
The last section of questions in my questionnaire focused on demographic information. I wanted to know if the typical gated community resident owned or rented their home, had more than one primary residence, and what income bracket they fell in.
When I asked if the home in the gated community in which they now live was rented or owned 65% claimed owned and 35% claimed rented. This seems relatively plausible
49 where 2/3 of individuals own their home and 1/3 rent. When I asked if they had a second residence only four, 20%, of individuals selected yes whereas 80% said no. Of the individuals who do have a second residence 100% said this residence was owned and located in a gated community. Although this is a small sample it suggests that gated community residents, on average, own their home and choose to reside behind the gates whether it is their primary or secondary residence.
Unfortunately, the majority of participants were unwilling to select their total household income in the past 12 months but of those who were willing to respond it was
$200,000 or more. Based on this small selection I could assume that gated communities are associated with upper income earners most likely due to their costly fees and services.
I was hoping to use this information to determine if gated communities are always selected by the affluent or if the gated community trend in Southern and Central Florida had influenced all income brackets.
50 CHAPTER SEVEN: CONCLUSION
In this thesis project my research objective was to determine the motivation and desire for individuals to create and reside within gated communities. I employed anthropological methods such as interviews, participant observation, questionnaires, and text analysis to acquire data for my work.
By performing text analysis on the advertising and marketing materials of the gated communities I was able to determine what methods each community uses to convince buyers that their community supports the buyers' ideal lifestyle. New Rural
Community wanted to showcase their location, amenities, and support for new ruralism.
The buyers were shown the close proximity to all that Orlando, Florida has to offer but were shown they would live on large private lots surrounded by natural untouched land.
The marketing attempted to convince buyers that the land value is an investment purchase that should not be passed up. The Disney Community catered towards families who want VIP access to Disney perks but want to live in an upscale gated community.
The marketing showcased the "experience" a resident would have as part of the Disney
Connection. The last community, Upscale Green Community, tried to capture buyers that want an upscale country club lifestyle. The advertising focused around the club's grand amenities offering everything from a fully operating spa to restaurants and even sport facilities. They also tried to capture buyers who care for a green environmentally-friendly environment by showcasing their commitment to the environment as part of the National
Audubon society. In conclusion, each community is shaped by market trends in attempt to capture a unique niche market.
51 Interviews allowed me to have access to the individuals who are involved in the creation of gated communities. I spoke with two builders, a developer, an office manager, and a field supervisor to create a well-rounded discussion as to why gated communities are being developed. Although academic literature suggests that developers create fear and employ other methods to convince buyers they need to live behind the gates my interviews suggested otherwise. Of my interviewees 100% claimed that their business focuses on gated communities not by choice but by demand. This means that the desire to live behind the gate is up to the buyer not a phenomenon created by the industry. My participants said that gated communities are created for two reasons: to offer a higher quality of living and for financial gain. In conclusion, I was told that gated communities are on the rise because that is where the majority of clients want to live.
I distributed questionnaires to gated community residents to determine their motivation and desire to live behind the gates. I collected twenty completed questionnaires where 100% of participants currently live in a gated community. The top three motivations for moving to a gated community were investment opportunity, sense of community, and exclusivity. It seems that people are not moving behind the gates for security but due to realtor and family/friend recommendation. They see the purchase as an investment where gated communities ensure higher property values. I was also able to conclude that marketing materials only accounted for 15-20% purchases. Individuals were more influenced by recommendation and experience versus marketing. When it came to the gated community trend the majority of participants have lived in their gated community between 1-4 years but previously lived in another gated community for 5-9 years. This suggests that gated communities are not on the rise because individuals desire
52 security and seclusion but because they offer an investment opportunity, a sense of community, exclusivity, and amenities.
For further research I would suggest exploring why individuals chose exclusivity, sense of community, and investment opportunity for the top motivations that influenced their decision to live behind the gates. When respondents were asked to rank their list of motivations on the questionnaire the selection of options was created by a list of factors given in Chapter Two "Literature Review". I would suggest creating follow up interviews to ask those participants who live within gated communities to give a direct response to the question in attempt to gain a wider possibly of options. I would also recommend doing area research to determine demographic information on the town in which each gated community is located. Perhaps a town's affluence or crime rate has an effect on individual's choosing exclusivity versus security as their primary motivations to live behind the gates.
Ultimately, my research has allowed me to determine the motivation and desire to create and live in gated communities. I was able to see the factors that have influenced the privatization of neighborhood space and how gated communities have played a role in this transformation.
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Blakely, Edward J. and Snyder, Mary. (1997). Fortress America: Gated Communities in the United States. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press.
Caldeira, Teresa P. R. (2000). City of Walls: Crime, Segregation, and Citizenship in São Paulo. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Glasze, Georg., Webster,Chris. and Frantz, Klaus. (2006). Private Cities: Global and Local Perspectives. London: Routledge.
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Low, Setha. (2003). Behind the Gates: Life, Security, and the Pursuit of Happiness and Fortress America. London: Routledge.
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