Gated Communities: As Private Governments, Are They Endangering Local Social Cohesion in Latin American Cities?
Larger numbers of upper and middle classes households are choosing to live in gated communities. This phenomenon is on the rise not only in the U.S., but also in Latin America and other developing countries. The proliferation of this residential arrangement raises important political issues and may reinforce the fragmentation of cities by limiting access of the vulnerable segment of the population to public infrastructures and services. This paper presents a geopolitical analysis of gated communities in the developing world, with special reference to Latin America. Following a description of the main characteristics of gated communities in Latin America, and based on the discussion of notions of segregation, solidarity and social cohesion, the paper shows how gated communities endanger solidarity and social cohesion in a general context of pauperization of urban populations.