Suburban bubbles: emerging suburban gated communities in the Prague Urban Region

Abstract

Gated communities, which physically embody prestige and exclusivity through their security features and gating practices, started proliferating in the United States and were subsequently copied by other countries worldwide. However, even when replicated, the suburban gated communities in the Prague Urban Region differ in terms of size and the function of their security features and gating practices. Applying the typology of Blakely and Snyder, the research results propose a new type of development: the bubble community. This term refers to social separation with rather weak and temporary enclosure practices. The research findings indicate that bubble communities are usually small developments with weak gating practices and security features, where residents prefer to live in their own small social bubbles. Analyzing data acquired from extensive field mapping, field survey, and photo documentation, the research focuses on the physical distribution and spatial and physical characteristics of the two surrounding administrative districts: Prague-West and Prague-East.