Enclosure

Historical Patterns of Enclosure

The design of ancient and medieval cities incorporated such features as town squares, marketplaces, and residential districts into their town plans as a means of protecting the interactions and institutions of separate communities. Until at least the eighteenth century, the design of the Greek city-states, in which enclaves were essential features, provided the European model of the ideal city. In the medieval city, separate spaces were set aside for churches, monasteries, universities, the marketplace, and neighborhoods. More recent examples of such spaces abound. In the early years of the nineteenth century, Times Square in New York City became a space that facilitated community gatherings and celebrations, as it still does on New Year's Eve.

Modern Urban Enclosure

In many parts of the world, the physical enclosure of urban space is increasingly encompassing the four venues and historical functions of cities: residence, consumption, work, and leisure. In the United States, for example, gated residential communities are becoming popular. These are known as common interest developments (CIDs) because residents own or manage some property, services, and amenities in common, and their use is governed by private homeowner associations. Though such developments were almost unknown until the early 1960s, now in many metropolitan areas, especially in the Sunbelt (the South and southwestern United States), nearly all new housing is contained with them.

Malls are another form of enclosure that has rapidly [Page 450]spread. The first enclosed malls opened in 1956 near Edina, Minnesota, and they have spread rapidly since. At first malls were built in suburbs near highway interchanges, but they are now commonly located in downtown areas. They draw people away from public streets into privately owned spaces. Enclosure has also begun to encompass work and leisure. In many central cities, a downtown office complex has developed that segregates affluent office workers within defended spaces. To enter into these fortress-type buildings, visitors must typically check in with a security guard at a desk. Since the terrorist attacks in New York City on September 11, 2001, security in such spaces has become tighter; often, visitors must pass through metal detectors and submit to various security measures.

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