A Conceptual Model for Assessing Residents’ Satisfaction in the Case of Gated Communities: An Analytical Literature Review

Abstract

Measuring residential satisfaction has recently been considered as an important guide for architects, policymakers, urban planners, housing analysts, and housing developers. This is also true in relation to gated residential developments or gated communities. This research aims to develop a model of residential satisfaction that could be of help in measuring and evaluating overall residential satisfaction and its different components in general and in the case of gated communities. An analytical review of the literature was conducted in order to theoretically develop the model proposed. The literature helped identify five main components of residential satisfaction. Three components were derived from the housing satisfaction literature: (1) satisfaction with the dwelling unit, (2) satisfaction with the neighborhood, and (3) satisfaction with the social life and the social environment. The other two were mainly inferred from the gated community literature to better adapt this particular case: (1) sense of safety and security and (2) satisfaction with access to services and mobility. The model, furthermore, emphasizes many aspects that also contribute to determining the level of residential satisfaction.