The Popularity of the Gated Community Model in the Montreal Region. What Advertizing Discourse Reveals About New Housing Development?
The residential model of the gated community, or secured residential enclave (SRE), is expanding at an increasing rate in the cities of a very wide number of countries, regardless of their continent. In Montreal, the SRE as defined in its strictest sense is a very rare, practically nonexistent form, although there are grounds for questioning whether certain elements unique to or closely associated with this residential model are currently validated by the developers of new residential properties. In response to this question, we have carried out analyses of recent advertizing discourse related to the new residential developments of Greater Montreal. Our investigation of the content of this kind of advertizing shows that no explicit reference is made to the SRE model and neither is there any mention of closure or restricted access. As to the privatization of services or utilities, they appear in many advertisements but their offerings are very trivial and include mainly swimming-pools, physical-fitness rooms and terraces –utilities that might be found in a single-family detached house. It is therefore hard to talk about substituting collective solidarity for a form of solidarity based on residential community! The elements tied to SREs, like security or the retreat to the residential community, continue to play a marginal role in advertizing. Moreover, elements such as the proximity of downtown Montreal and the public and private utilities accessible to everyone, as well integration into a specific district or city, are highly present –indicating the importance of the close environment for potential buyers. In conclusion, our investigation of advertizing discourse shows that values running counter to those values subjacent to the SRE model (e.g. demonstrating openness to the outside world and an obvious preference for public utilities) are easily dominant.