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Maybe he will come back and explain himself on the roads issue.
I was alive during the "civil rights era" of the 60s, which is something a lot of people on this forum can't say. I remember it well; I grew into my teens during that era. That is also, coincidentally, the time when a lot of suburbs were growing rapidly. So you had two diverse movements going on. I don't remember any gated communities being built in my area during the 60s; I remember a few from well before that.
It's naive to think that it was only coincidence. Unrest in cities fueled demand in suburbs. These are not seperate issues.
I don't remember any gated communities being built in my area during the 60s; I remember a few from well before that.
Did the ones from your area built well before the 60s have a security guard who checked all cars?
Gated communities sound like a regional thing to me. There are no (well, there's probably one somewhere but they're rare) gated communities in Long Island and much of it was built in the 60s. Few gated communities in Massachusetts. Saw one in New Jersey, in an area that I think was built in the 80s or early 90s.
I hear this all the time, but I believe it was minor piece of the puzzle that led to the rise in suburbs, such as:
-Greater use of automobile allowed access to parts outside the city
-People had the opportunity to build new
-People had the opportunity for a larger home
-People had the opportunity for a yard and access to a metro area
-People had the opportunity to creating distance from crime
Then, as suburbs started to grow, it seems investment in cities declined, only exacerbating the trend. Yes, some people were racist, but I believe the vast majority of people were just for safety, having bigger, and having newer...and cars and gov't investments offered that opportunity. I am sure I am missing some basic stuff in this story, but this was off the top of my head.
By the way, we don't really have many gated communities where I live, just suburbs.
I hear this all the time, but I believe it was minor piece of the puzzle that led to the rise in suburbs, such as:
-Greater use of automobile allowed access to parts outside the city
-People had the opportunity to build new
-People had the opportunity for a larger home
-People had the opportunity for a yard and access to a metro area
-People had the opportunity to creating distance from crime
Then, as suburbs started to grow, it seems investment in cities declined, only exacerbating the trend. Yes, some people were racist, but I believe the vast majority of people were just for safety, having bigger, and having newer...and cars and gov't investments offered that opportunity. I am sure I am missing some basic stuff in this story, but this was off the top of my head.
By the way, we don't really have many gated communities where I live, just suburbs.
Plenty of non-racists sold their urban homes for suburban homes, you're right. But in some cases the reasons behind this were racial in nature, even if they harbored no ill will towards blacks or other minorities. It became the only financially sound decision in lots of places.
Plenty of non-racists sold their urban homes for suburban homes, you're right. But in some cases the reasons behind this were racial in nature, even if they harbored no ill will towards blacks. It became the only financially sound decision in lots of places.
Did the ones from your area built well before the 60s have a security guard who checked all cars?
Gated communities sound like a regional thing to me. There are no (well, there's probably one somewhere but they're rare) gated communities in Long Island and much of it was built in the 60s. Few gated communities in Massachusetts. Saw one in New Jersey, in an area that I think was built in the 80s or early 90s.
No. And seriously, I don't know of any gated communities in my area now that do so. I've been a visiting nurse and seen a lot of subdivisions.
The issue of race has now become an issue of class--the working-class white (with cars on blocks and a barbecue on the lawn) is no more welcome in a gated community than the working-class nonwhite, and while there are nonwhites in these exclusive places, it is expected that they will behave in order to maintain their status as One of the Good Ones who can be trotted out when someone mentions the exclusivity of their gated community.
A lot of this surveillance is stuff that theoretically should infuriate social conservatives who would never tolerate such behavior from their government, but the same sort of behavior is perfectly acceptable if it is privatized. But privatized government is more dangerous than the public sort--it has the power of government without its accountability.
The strict social control of a gated community, with its rules regarding front yards, street parking, and limits on access are the antithesis of the modern era of city planning, mixed-use neighborhoods and walkability. They are the ultimate in unwalkability, due to their labyrinthine nature and lack of permeability, and actively discourage pedestrian activity, use of porches and front yards, and other things that might make the place less than sterile.
The strict social control of a gated community, with its rules regarding front yards, street parking, and limits on access are the antithesis of the modern era of city planning, mixed-use neighborhoods and walkability. They are the ultimate in unwalkability, due to their labyrinthine nature and lack of permeability, and actively discourage pedestrian activity, use of porches and front yards, and other things that might make the place less than sterile.
Compare biking and walking and in a layout like this suburb Has a street hierarchy, partially ungridded, but you can use side streets to avoid busy roads, and some commercial roads are functional for bikes + pedestrians(mainly Larkfield Road and the area by Greenlawn train station). In contrast look at this suburb full of gated communities
Had Trayvon Martin been visiting my neighborhood he'd still be alive. He wouldn't have gotten in without being on someone's guest list. While we do keep an eye for things that seem out of place, a black kid carrying a bag of Skittles and walking down the sidewalk wouldn't warrant a second glance any more than a white woman pushing a stroller. Out of place would be a car cruising slowly through the neighborhood after dark or a strange car/van/truck parked in the driveway of someone who I know isn't home at the time.
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