ABSTRACT
Gated residential development has a long history in China. It can be dated back to the ancient walled cities and enclosed courtyard houses, through to the enclosed work-unit compounds of the socialist era. However, in post-reform China, especially after the privatization of the urban housing sector in the late 1980s, the gated community has gained overwhelming prevalence in the commodity housing market. They are known as residential small districts (RSD) and are sanctioned by national planning codes, designed by professional planners and architects and managed by professional property management companies rather than the residents committees and street offices. The development of planned gated communities has dramatically changed and redefined Chinese urban space. The physical set-up of gated communities varies from project to project. Open-air recreation and access to outdoor spaces are an important part of many wealthy or middle-class residents daily life in gated communities.
