Territorial expression of urban fear: the spread of gated communities in Lithuania

Abstract

This article presents the analysis of the spread of gated communities in Lithuania considering the theoretical basis and the impact of ‘culture of fear’. The ‘urban fear’ is considered as a complex of anxieties that involves fear of changes, instability and disorder as well as non-acceptance of differences, diversity and the ‘others’. Those fears and the need for social control create the model of gated living, in which not only gated communities but also gated mentality plays an important role. Thus gated communities appear to be both the consequence and the reason of mental ‘gatedness’ as well as unsustainable development of modern cities, in which the demand for gating is produced by fear-creating media and real estate developers. The study was made in suburban areas of three main Lithuanian cities, identifying gated communities and other fenced (but not guarded) neighbourhoods and housing developments. The features of their physical enclosure, security measures and community building were recorded. A total of 129 suburban gated communities and nearly 390 other fenced neighbourhoods were identified. The analysis of gated communities` spread revealed changes not only in the amount and territorial distribution but also in ‘gatedness’ of gated communities in Lithuania.