Gated communities in Bahrain: historical and urban geographies

Abstract

Residential gating is a notable element in cities worldwide, but notable gaps exist in studies of residential gating in smaller cities and the Global South. This article examines the historical and urban geographies of residential gating in the Arab Gulf, using a case study from Bahrain. This research adds new nuance to studies of gated communities by presenting a case study from a smaller city in the Global South and integrating observations and interviews. The results explain the reasons for gated community development in Bahrain and provide insight into gated communities’ built and social environments in Bahrain. The article concludes that in ordinary cities, understanding urban development in general, and gated developments in particular, demands attention to their spatiotemporal contexts. Attention to these contexts can provide new insights that contribute to efforts to interpret and theorise contemporary urbanisation processes.

The Rise of Gated Communities in Amman from the Old to the Modern: Socio-Spatial Impact on the Surrounding

“…Building on several studies of gating and gated communities in the Middle East [3][4][5][6][7][8], this article seeks to demonstrate the historical backgrounds of contemporary gated communities in Amman by investigating the reasons and motives that fostered their development, then investigating their social, economic, and spatial impact on the surrounding neighbourhoods based on a case study analysis. As gated communities seek seclusion and isolation, in addition to other issues such as segregation, fragmentation, and exclusion [9], interestingly, these features can be traced back to old Arabian neighbourhoods.…”