Do Gates Negate the City? Gated Communities’ Contribution to the Urbanisation of Suburbia in Pilar, Argentina

Abstract

Pilar is a city located in the third ring of the Buenos Aires metropolitan region (Argentina). Over the past 30 years, the widespread development of gated residential communities has seemingly gone hand-in-hand with an urbanisation of this outer suburb signalled by the arrival of new populations, enterprise, retail and other services. The growth of the 'private city' of these gated communities therefore has important implications for the 'public city' of the wider suburban municipality. Drawing upon original research based on the opinions of key informants, this paper considers how the growth of the 'private city' has contributed to the economy of, processes of community-building and social cohesion in Pilar. In conclusion, it is suggested that gated residential communities have been a major factor in the emergence of the dual suburb that is Pilar today. entrance to a new private university-at locations just off the Panamericana highway that passes through the municipality. At a spot near a new shopping centre several kilometres short of the historical centre of Pilar, the driver advises us-the only remaining passengersthat we have to make the rest of our journey by taxi!

Splintering (sub) urbanism and social differences: Gated communities as the driver for suburban change in Chacras de Coria (Mendoza, Argentina)

“…In Pilar, for example, the residents of gated communities coexist with other residents who live in poor neighborhoods with inadequate street lighting, inadequate public transport infrastructure, high infant mortality and high school drop-out 8 This was about 12% of the total investment received in the province of Buenos Aires in the early 2000s (Vidal Koppman, 2014, p. 276). (Roitman and Phelps, 2011). The development of Pilar as a consequence of the arrival of gated communities did not benefit the poor population of that municipality as it only improved the services and infrastructure offered in the areas close to and within the gated communities and not in the 'open' residential areas.…”

“…New service and commercial areas were built, including office developments and also new (or expanded) industrial parks. This can be seen in the growth of Pilar (a municipality of the Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires) with the construction of new shopping centers, schools, hotels, office space and the expansion of the industrial park (Roitman and Phelps, 2011). This municipality received new investments for about USD $650 million 8 .…”

“…In the case of Pilar, gated communities increased from 20 in the 1980s to more than 100 in early 2000s (Roitman & Phelps, 2011) agricultural activities. Luján de Cuyo is considered as the area with the best climatic conditions and soil for vine growing in the province.…”

Mapping Dynamic Indicators of Quality of Life: a Case in Rosario, Argentina

“…Funes grew from 8952 in 1991 to 14,665 in 2001 and Roldán from 9382 to 11,470 (source: INDEC). 11 This phenomenon is not unique to Rosario as other Latin American cities in the past 20 years have been characterized by an urban development process where the periphery traditionally occupied by lower income groups (either in informal settlements or social housing) is now shared by middle and upper income class population living in gated communities (Roitman and Phelps 2011). On balance, the best-off areas lost population and the worst-off areas gained population.…”

Gentrificación en España y América Latina: Un diálogo crítico

“…En América Latina, algo similar estaba sucediendo. El comienzo del nuevo siglo fue testigo de amplios debates sobre el aumento de la exclusión social que estaba ocurriendo después de la proliferación de las urbanizaciones cerradas, íntimamente relacionados con una crisis urbana producida de forma discursiva, centrándose en la inseguridad y la delincuencia (Caldeira, 2000;Janoschka & Borsdorf, 2006;Giglia, 2008;Roitman & Phelps, 2011;Salcedo & Torres, 2004).…”