Selected by Choice as an Outstanding Book
Edward J. Blakely is Dean of the School of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Southern California. His previous books include Planning Local Economic Development (Sage, 1994) and Separate Societies (Temple, 1993), winner of the 1994 Paul Davidoff award for the best book in planning. Mary Gail Snyder is at the Department of City and Regional Planning at the University of California, Berkeley.
"This book is the first major study of the development and social impact of this phenomenon that has major implications for urban design. It is... important reading for all involved with and concerned about cities." —Steven Tiesdell, University of Aberdeen, UK, Journal of Urban Design, 12/13/2000|"Well-grounded in the social science literature on community, FORTRESS AMERICA is a frightening book, a mustread for all those interested in our nation's cities, suburbs, neighborhoods, and communities. Blakely and Snyder take the reader on a well-crafted and lively tour of gated communities in the United States." — Society|"A thoughtful, low-key book that mirrors the quiet but important trend toward fenced neighborhoods....The authors have a clear and consistent viewpoint...and end with rational, realistic suggestions for building better communities without erecting fortresses.... The book offers a calm and reasoned tone for a revolutionary tendency and deserves a wide audience." — Publishers Weekly|"Fortress America illustrates some powerful contemporary social impulses by collecting a wealth of evidence about gated communities and testimony from their residents." — The New York Times Book Review|"This is the first comprehensive survey of gated communities and their impacts, and immediately becomes the starting point for research on this important subject....This is a major contribution to the study of contemporary landscapes, communities, and settlement patterns, especially urban geography, urban sociology, and environmental psychology. Very highly recommended." — Choice|"[A] thorough, well-argued book... Its moral tone, sense of justice, and relative lack of political jargon allow it to be recommended for general readers." — Library Journal|"FORTRESS AMERICA has much to recommend it. It is the first book devoted entirely to the study of the gated community phenomenon, the social and political ramifications of which should not be taken lightly.... Blakely and Snyder raise some fascinating questions that deserve attention." — American Political Science Review|"In short, this book is the first major study of the development and social impact of this phenomenon that has major implications for urban design. It is therefore important reading for all involved with and concerned about cities and urban design." —Steven Tiesdell, University of Aberdeen, UK, Journal of Urban Design, 9/1/2000|"required reading for the anti-gate set." —Evan Halper, Los Angeles Times, 5/28/2002|"This is a well written book about a topic of growing importance in both the professional press and public debate." —Roderick J. Lawrence, Switzerland University of Geneva, Open House International, 6/1/2002|"This is a major contribution to the study of contemporary landscapes, communities, and settlement patterns, especially urban geography, urban sociology, and environmental psychology." —P.O. Muller, University of Miami, CHOICE, 6/1/2005
Some social revolutions slam into our consciousness with banner headlines and others creep in insidiously as a series of small surprises. Gated communities have been around since the early 1980s and definitely belong to the latter category. Despite the dramatic title, college professor Blakely and doctoral student Snyder have written a thoughtful, low-key book that mirrors the quiet but important trend toward fenced neighborhoods. "The real issue," they write, "is not about the actual gates and walls, but why so many feel they need them." They collected material directly and simply by going to communities and talking to residents, and by mail surveys of homeowner associations. With three million households and about eight million people currently barricaded, a variety of approaches to gated living were available for study, though the reasons residents chose them always centered around fear of crime and attempts to produce economic and physical security. Early chapters trace the evolution and history of the phenomenon, and later discussion presents homeowners' defense of secession and exclusion of others from their economic and social privilege. The authors have a clear and consistent democratic viewpoint, however, and end with rational, realistic suggestions for building better communities without erecting fortresses. The subject may lack the glamour of more dramatic and trendy social problems, but the book offers a calm and reasoned tone for a revolutionary tendency and deserves a wide audience. (Oct.)
"This book is the first major study of the development and social impact of this phenomenon that has major implications for urban design. It is... important reading for all involved with and concerned about cities." -Steven Tiesdell, University of Aberdeen, UK, Journal of Urban Design, 12/13/2000
|"Well-grounded in the social science literature on community, FORTRESS AMERICA is a frightening book, a mustread for all those interested in our nation's cities, suburbs, neighborhoods, and communities. Blakely and Snyder take the reader on a well-crafted and lively tour of gated communities in the United States." - Society|
"A thoughtful, low-key book that mirrors the quiet but important trend toward fenced neighborhoods....The authors have a clear and consistent viewpoint...and end with rational, realistic suggestions for building better communities without erecting fortresses.... The book offers a calm and reasoned tone for a revolutionary tendency and deserves a wide audience." - Publishers Weekly|
"Fortress America illustrates some powerful contemporary social impulses by collecting a wealth of evidence about gated communities and testimony from their residents." - The New York Times Book Review|
"This is the first comprehensive survey of gated communities and their impacts, and immediately becomes the starting point for research on this important subject....This is a major contribution to the study of contemporary landscapes, communities, and settlement patterns, especially urban geography, urban sociology, and environmental psychology. Very highly recommended." - Choice|
"[A] thorough, well-argued book... Its moral tone, sense of justice, and relative lack of political jargon allow it to be recommended for general readers." - Library Journal|
"FORTRESS AMERICA has much to recommend it. It is the first book devoted entirely to the study of the gated community phenomenon, the social and political ramifications of which should not be taken lightly.... Blakely and Snyder raise some fascinating questions that deserve attention." - American Political Science Review|
"In short, this book is the first major study of the development and social impact of this phenomenon that has major implications for urban design. It is therefore important reading for all involved with and concerned about cities and urban design." -Steven Tiesdell, University of Aberdeen, UK, Journal of Urban Design, 9/1/2000
|"required reading for the anti-gate set." -Evan Halper, Los Angeles Times, 5/28/2002
|"This is a well written book about a topic of growing importance in both the professional press and public debate." -Roderick J. Lawrence, Switzerland University of Geneva, Open House International, 6/1/2002
|"This is a major contribution to the study of contemporary landscapes, communities, and settlement patterns, especially urban geography, urban sociology, and environmental psychology." -P.O. Muller, University of Miami, CHOICE, 6/1/2005
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