Planning Responses to Gated Communities in Canada

Abstract

This paper describes the distribution of gated developments and the municipal planning response to them in Canada. Although gating is not as common as in the US, the number of gated subdivisions is increasing, especially in western Canada. Gating has not yet generated significant social debate regarding the social, economic or political implications of this residential form. While planners in some communities have developed tools to regulate gating, for the most part planning documents do not include policies to respond effectively to the challenges that gating may create. Moreover, planners find themselves conflicted between achieving the planning principles of compact urban form versus equally compelling arguments for connectivity and social integration.