As inventions go, few are more American than the modern gated community. The impulse to be left alone on a piece of land is what filled the colonies, moved the frontiers, and built the suburbs. This long-term project catalogues some of the purest expressions of this drive.
We’ve gathered data on several hundred communities across all fifty states, from Olmsted-era enclaves in Connecticut to fly-fishing luxury compounds in Alaska. The research combines archival work, site visits, interviews, and questionnaires to the residents and associations who know these places best. An illustrated book is well underway, and audio and documentary treatments are under consideration.