Gated Communities

The Evolution of Gated Communities

Gated and walled cities or residential areas are as old as community building itself. There is little doubt from archeological evidence that early human settlements in the Nile River valleys were walled against the hunter-gatherer tribes that roamed the deserts foraging for food. Early kingdoms in the Mesopotamian region were known by their walls, and many Greek cites were walled.

But the Romans were the masterminds of the walled personal enclave. Early Rome was a sea of humanity from various conquered territories. The wealthiest Romans built compounds for their families and entourages outside the smelly polyglot city. Their walls protected “real” Romans from the potential dangers of the lower classes who inhabited the city and who kidnapped and stole from the wealthy. As the Roman government deployed its armies ever farther afield, it eventually could no longer afford to bring all its soldiers home at the end of a campaign. Moreover, many soldiers did not want to return to Rome, where they had [Page 527]been slaves or members of the lowest classes; they preferred remaining in the conquered territories as occupying settlers. As occupiers, the early Roman soldiers were rewarded with local land and a small amount of other resources, including slaves. Since the occupiers were in a minority, they had to fortify themselves against their external wards, so they built compounds similar to the walled villas of suburban Rome. In England, retired Roman soldiers built gated or walled communities as early as 300 BCE.

The suburban gated community of Bear Creek, Washington, near Seattle, in 1995.

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