Well that was intense! Although I think that Bickford raised some good issues, I can't say that I agree with her overall view on communities and why she thinks people become part of them, and I'll be honest, its always easier for me to argue about what I don't agree with, so here it goes.
I have lived in several different communities thus far in my life. Suburban, rural, and city life never seemed to be an option I was choosing at the time because of class or race, rather lifestyle. It was simply the mood I was in at those points in my life and nothing more. This is one particularly bothersome topic that is continually mentioned throughout the entire article. Bickford uses race and class as the primary means for segregation amongst communities, even dating back to ancient Greek cities. I would argue that in the era of ancient Greek cities religion was the major contributor to segregation amongst communities and in some parts of the world it still is today. There are plenty of other people out there that are middle-class and not white and I am actually offended that she suggests otherwise. My point is that there are many factors that contribute to segregation of communities and to have only race and class as evidence to her theory is studying it blindly. People are just not that simple.
Bickford blames developers for the modern popularity of middle-class gated communities and CID's or PUD's. As far as their reason for creation she states that "it is not the case that consumers demanded these private, controlled environments and then the market reacted to those demands", yet today they are in extremely high demand. Once these communities were created people were attracted to them and they still are today. It is the basic economic principle of supply and demand. If developers weren't selling them like hot cakes they wouldn't be building them.
Maybe I'm naive, but I don't think that people only want to live in CID's because of class and race. For me personally, my suburban town home is not something that I purchased to be with "like people", if such a term even means anything. Rather, it was an accomplishment that came from years of hard work, busting my tail, setting personal goals and achieving them. I would hope that if I have anything in common with my community neighbors it is just that and not that we are of the same race or class. Actually now that I think of it, I have a rather culturally and racially diverse community, but according to Bickford that might be because its missing the gates.
As for the middle-class gated community dwellers, whether most would like to admit it or not, I think that the issue of safety has nothing to do with living there. The gates are all for show. They are like a giant motorized trophy that waves up and down screaming "look at me, I made it". For me living in a gated community is not a personal preference or goal. I have always been more attracted to natural scenic settings like water and mountains, meanwhile I have friends that can't wait to get that loft downtown. Bottom line, for every person they have an ideal notion or goal of, for them, what means that they've "made it". Some persevere and work extremely hard to get there while others are either handed it, waiting for that lucky lotto ticket or finding excuses to blame others for not having it. Regardless, in our human nature, deep down most people yearn for it in one way or another.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Kate-
Very insighful analysis (both on your blog, as well as your other posts) with respect to perhaps the inherent reason some choose to live in gated communities. Interesting that you surmise this is often times more about status than with self segragation. I hadn't considered that myself, but I think it rings true.
This whole notion of the gated community is somewhat foreign to me - I think primarily because of my geography. I wonder if the definition of a "gated" entrance can be applied to a truly urban setting. Bickford touches on the gates of fence and razor wire surrounding low-income projects, but by her own definition, would the presence of a doorman in a typical NYC apartment building be deemed a gate of sorts as well. The more I consider this notion of gates the more and more I imagine in can include - and the more frustrated I become with a lack of solution.
While I agree that "people are just not that simple," the empirical facts on the ground are that you can pretty much draw racial and economic class "profiles" of any given neighborhood. Marketers do it all the time, so that they can more accurately target their desired demographic. So given that most (not ALL, but most) communities have a strong demographic internal consistency, it's hardly simplistic to ask why.
Similarly, Bickford's statement that PUD developers "manufactured" demand isn't contradicted by the fact that PUDs are in high demand today. There was no market for SUV's until marketers (primarily from American automakers) created it as a way to sell passenger vehicles that didn't need to meet federal emissions and mileage standards (they were sold as "cars" but categorized by regulations as "light trucks). So too with suburban developments; the fact that they're in high demand today doesn't mean that the demand was a response to an original need instead of a marketing campaign.
Finally, the use of the gated community as a marker of "I've Made It!!!" (I love that notion -- I have a vision of banners at the gates that say "I've Made It!!!") is another reason why exclusivity is important. You can hardly use your house or your neighborhood to proclaim economic success if just any-old-body can live there.
I would have to question your thoughts in paragraph three. I am not sure if there is an overall desire/demand to live in a CID/PUD or if is just well placed advertising to sell them.
I do completely agree with your last thoughts. The "motorized trophy" idea I enjoyed. I will agree too that each individual has their own idea as to what is being "successful." In some ways, I am not concerned with where I live as long as that I eventually have a 10/15 car garage to display a collection of cars. You are completely right in the sense that each of us has a different goal.
I liked your thoughts. I agree with Chad about CID's. It may be the area in which I live but 99% of all homes in the Vegas valley have an association and some have CID's. It's probably the market of this area and the developers creating master planned communities left and right.
I agree with you about choosing where to live. When we moved here we looked at houses that we liked, in neighborhoods that we liked, and not at the demographics of the people. The way people are constantly moving in and out of this valley, make choosing an area based on demographics a mute point.
Post a Comment