Physical and spatial characteristics of gated communities in the area of Madrid

Abstract

In the study of scientific literature on gated communities published today it has been detected an imbalance in the approaches proposed. One approach that we have labeled as sociological, focusing on socio-economic, historical and internal management of urbanization, is the clear majority against a physical-spatial approach that focuses on the qualities and characteristics of the material that makes possible the phenomenon of gated communities. This article aims to begin to redress the balance by providing empirical knowledge about the morphology and spatial organization of closed communities. Focused on the area of Madrid, the study raises the hypothesis of homogeneity of the developments in regard to their physical-space and has been tacitly accepted by sociological studies is not so, and it is possible to distinguish nuances and differences between the different areas by enabling a separation of its physical qualities. Three basic parameters shall be studied: the closing level of urbanization, the distribution of land uses and layout of the road.