A Systematic Review of the Global Literature on Gated Communities: A Temporal Perspective

Abstract

This study systematically reviews 336 peer-reviewed articles on gated communities (1997–2023) to examine thematic evolution and geographic diversification. Guided by a unified conceptual framework, it identifies six meta-themes and traces a transition from early defensive architecture to contemporary sustainable assemblages. The findings also reveal a significant “Southern turn” dominated by China and a conceptual shift where the gate has evolved from a physical barrier into a sophisticated filter for socio-political and ecological management. Transcending the state-retreat binary, this review advocates for assemblage theory and “negotiated urbanism” to address the urgent environmental and equity challenges posed by global gated urbanization.