sustainable city / gated communities

This paper explores the political, financial and environmental sustainability of private communities. By analysis of 219 gated communities in LA area, this investigation demonstrates that private urban governance is a locally sustainable solution that might help stabilize the financing of urban growth, redevelops aging neighborhoods, maintains social diversity, conserves non renewable urban resources and encourage reinvestment in urban infrastructure. However, these gains are not made without social costs and spillovers. Breaking down municipal management into smaller units might deliver a more economically sustainable urban system on the whole, but only at the expense of marginalizing those excluded from the club economy.