33
34 These characteristics can be listed as:
- Ensuring that the network of public spaces is always easily accessible;
- The provision of facilities in locations in which activities take place, that promote strong social and economic dynamics in order to attract people to these locations;
- The provision of a variety of amenities and a variety of urban functions in order to promote equal access to goods and services;
- The attraction and accommodation of diverse cultures, age groups and social classes; and - Allowing people to create their own image and presentation of themselves.
(Pinto, 2015).
With regard to gated communities and the status of social cohesion within them, it is questionable whether they promote social cohesion or exclude it. Libertun (2007) states that gating a community promotes social cohesion in various contributing aspects. Such aspects include the provision of a variety of enclosed neighbourhoods and various income groups to create managed areas in which it is safer to live. There is less crime, there is protection of valuables, as well as an environment which restricts and prevents unwanted entry. There are privately controlled public areas, and people buy into and conform to a lifestyle of common interests (Libertun, 2007).
3.6.2 Social Cohesion in Gated Communities
A study by Addington and Rennison (2013) elaborates on the effects of gated communities and on the aspects of crime within urban areas within America. Their research is based on the US National Crime Victimisation Survey (NCVS) and the US Census Bureau's American Housing Survey; these gated communities are seen as safer areas and it is felt that incidents of crime are minimal within these communities. However, there is the issue that these communities give rise to other crimes.
These communities evidently push crime away from these neighbourhoods to less secure areas, but also contribute to the rise of other crimes such as domestic violence, bullying, as well as violent assault. Violent assault has been an issue raised, where there are cases of people being trapped with the assaulter within the confines of the ‘secure’ community. Vandalism is also brought up as an issue due to those gaining access to the estates or people who just cause trouble (Addington and Rennison, 2013).
A study on western US metropolitan areas, discussed by Le Goix (2005), looks at the social aspects of gated communities and the social inequality and segregation. The study focuses on the census data between the years of 2000 and 2010, focusing on ethnicity, economic status and age. The study shows that gated communities contribute to social segregation on a spatial level, where people from different racial backgrounds are separated and become focused in other areas due to gated
35 developments. The spatial structure of urban areas is influenced by the locality of the area and the demographics of the area (Le Goix, 2005). This area has a diverse group of people from different racial backgrounds, which is due to territorial activity between the different racial groups being predominant, which influences how people situate themselves within urban areas. Gated developments tend to attract people from one racial group to reside within them, and this results in spatial segregation and fragmentation. (Le Goix and Vesselinov, 2015).
Post-industrialism refers to an age where development has moved away from heavy industrial means to generate and drive the economy of a country. It refers to a change in mind-set and a new era of information being created (Liagouras, 2005). Due to the post-industrial changes, there have been gated community developments with the spatial changes which were spurred on through the era of Modernist thinking. Within China, gated communities have been increasing in number as a means of housing reform. This leads to social exclusion and segregation, and has often been criticised by western comparisons. These developments in China, however, follow political, architectural and legal traditions when developing these communities. These developments are not profit-driven and market-led, rather, they are residentially-driven by the needs and wants of the people, as well as by a top-down approach from government in which development thus commences. Within these developments there are amenities which are shared with those who are from outside the community and these are open to them. These developments are viewed more as a city concept on a larger scale and are considered as conforming more to a dynastic concept of territory, which is the implied context of gated communities (Li, Zhu and Li, 2011; Chen, 2012).
Due to globalisation, there is a direct impact on the economic, social, demographic and cultural aspects. Globalisation links cities together which, in turn, has implications for implicit social characteristics of other cities (Kearney, 1995).
Research done by Taleb (2005) shows that the implications on a social level of gated communities within Durban, South Africa, have been greatly influenced by its apartheid history. Racism is a large issue within the country and is portrayed through development, or rather the diversity of races and cultures within urban developments. The economic status of individuals has been seen to be another important and influential factor based on the way in which people are treated. Black people are stereotyped as people who are less likely to stay within suburban areas. White and Indian people are classified as those who would stay in suburban areas, but, through the means of mortgage and real estate, there would be underlying factors put in place to segregate the racial groups (Taleb, 2005). Living in gated communities is seen to be a class or status symbol, indicating that one is part of the middle to high income groups who are able to afford to stay in these communities, especially around the Umhlanga area. These communities do, however, have a diverse group of people from
36 different backgrounds who share no direct common interests but, who, due to the desire for status, reside within these communities (Taleb, 2005).
A study conducted by Breetzke, Landman and Cohn (2014) regarding whether or not gated communities are safer than staying in a non-gated community in Pretoria, South Africa, showed that there is a higher number of crimes committed within gated communities in comparison with non- gated communities (Breetzke, Landman and Cohn, 2014). Gated communities also shift crime to areas which are proximate to these developments or to other areas. This result shows that there is a false impression created that gated communities are safer than non-gated communities from both a South African Perspective and an international one (Breetzke, Landman and Cohn, 2014; Le Goix, 2015).
37 CHAPTER FOUR: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The following outlines the methodology that is used in the research. It outlines the approaches for the study being conducted, the sources of data and data sampling that is used in the research. The analysis method will be discussed and a tabulated plan of action for the study will be outlined.