ABSTRACT
The second theme emphasizes the indispensable role of the state in facilitating the rapid development of gated communities and the emergence of HOAs (see Huang 2006; Yip 2012). The prevalence of gated communities is considered a result of the downscaling of urban governance and the enforcement of political control at the neighborhood level (Huang 2006). Thirdly, other commentators tend to see the rising market force as a useful explanatory tool for the prevalence of gated communities in China (see Webster, Wu, and Zhao 2006; Wu 2006). They emphasize the importance of market efficiency in the provision of exclusive housing development, club goods, and the organization of neighborhood management affairs. A gated community is therefore considered to form a club realm of consumption so as to efficiently provide high-quality housing and tailored services to the emerging affluent population (Wu 2006). Meanwhile, a HOA is believed to be able to offer more effective and pliable management than local government (Chen and Webster 2005).
