The Social Divide: Impact of Gated Communities on Urban Interaction

Abstract

This study delves into the social ramifications of gated communities, particularly their influence on urban social interaction and city segregation. Utilizing space composition methodology, the research hypothesizes that gated communities diminish social interaction and contribute to urban segregation. Through a comparative analytical approach, two residential projects in Holy Karbala Governorate were examined in their existing gated state and in a hypothetical non-gated scenario. The findings substantiate the hypothesis, revealing that gated communities indeed lower clarity and integration values, which are pivotal for understanding and interacting within urban spaces. While these communities exhibit high internal social interaction, they lack city-level social engagement, thereby not supporting the social logic theory. Furthermore, the isolation of these residential projects from the broader urban fabric is linked to diminished quality of life and inefficient urban space usage. The study highlights the negative implications of gated communities on urban social dynamics, underscoring the need for reconsidering urban planning and residential project designs to foster more inclusive and socially vibrant urban environments.

Highlights :

Gated communities significantly reduce clarity and integration in urban spaces, hindering broader social interaction and understanding of the urban environment.
Despite fostering high internal social interaction, gated communities fail to support city-level social engagement, leading to urban segregation.
The isolation of gated residential projects from the urban fabric contributes to a decreased quality of life and inefficient use of urban spaces.

Keywords : Gated Communities, Urban Segregation, Social Interaction, Urban Planning, Space Composition Methodology

Introduction

Small, medium, and large-scale gated communities divide the urban fabric of the city into scattered plots of land. These plots are filled with residential blocks with individual use and inefficient land use, unlike traditional neighborhoods. The idea of walled communities is not new, as walls surrounded the traditional city with several gates secured for defensive and security reasons. Many traditional cities are based on a closed form of social and economic solidarity and are cohesive and homogeneous communities. In the late twentieth century, this ancient urban type began to reappear in modern settlements and grew rapidly in many countries around the world. The physical and social features of gated communities affect not only their internal structure but also their vicinity, collectively affecting the overall urban fabric of the city. Looking at some of the critical issues related to the impacts of gated communities on our contemporary cities is therefore relatively important. The research focuses on the relationship between gated communities and social interaction as the theory of space composition is one of the approaches to the social functional theory and the approach to the installation of space has two objectives, the first clarifies the social character of space and the second explains the space character of society and in both cases common existence and convergence are the main concepts and that the installation of space connects space to individuals and daily life Hence society and that there is a social logic of space represented by a model of social relations of space that can dominate at the holistic level of the city as well as the localized level and that the basic idea of space structure theory is that urban space can be represented by coaxial lines for the purpose of analysis and to describe the relative correlation of these spaces or lines. The analysis aims to give an objective description of the urban structure in which different urban forms can be compared with each other. The aim of the analysis is not only to describe patterns. Spatial but to show how different urban bodies are formed in different social aspects.

Theoretical framework

2.1 Gated Communities

There is no comprehensive definition of gated communities as it is a broad and diverse phenomenon. However, common aspects focus on the existence of enclosed, isolated, privatized areas in the city that serve as residential plots with above-average amenities. In the gated society literature, researchers give different definitions of this phenomenon. However, most share common features. The following definitions presented in this study are based on their relevance to the type of gated communities, and locally-aggregated complexes scattered in a city Doha. According to [1] "Gated communities are residential areas with restricted access so that public spaces have traditionally been privatized" Blakely & Snyder defined gated communities as "one of the most dramatic forms of residential boundaries" [1] and [2] asserts that a gated community is an urban settlement surrounded by walls with several entrances. These entrances are controlled by gates with security guards. Sometimes these gates are under video surveillance. Access to these settlements is strictly reserved for residents and their visitors [2]Such residential projects are usually equipped with recreational facilities, playgrounds, swimming pools, and other basic facilities, which are accessible exclusively to residents, to ensure a certain level of lifestyle. Teipelke explains the concept of gated communities from a holistic perspective. For him, it is the gate that is the focal point of analysis - from an architectural, political, economic, or cultural point of view. The gate – by virtue of its function – separates residents from others. The gate - by virtue of its physical advantage - is the starting and ending point of the fence/wall that often surrounds a gated community. The gate - in its symbolic sense - is the entrance to an exclusive world in/next to everyday life (Teipelke, 2011)

2.2 Globally Gated Communities

A gated society is an international phenomenon, which has currently developed in many countries with different types and characteristics that are not limited to the USA. Moreover, the reasons for its formation vary from country to country, for example, we can mention the race, security, and prestige[3] in gated communities in the United States is the necessary type of housing for American urban areas, primarily for urban elites[1] and conversely, in Latin American countries, the phenomenon first developed as a kind of summer resort and then turned into an answer to race[4]. In Europe, seasonal use of housing in coastal areas has been the main reason for the development of gated communities, moreover, the fashion attitude in some cities such as London and Amsterdam has transformed these communities as well. On the flip side, these communities have become a solution to everyday problems such as ethnic differences and the high crime rate in Asia and Africa.[5]. According to[6] in the USA and some other countries in Asia and South America, a large part of the population lives in these settlements. An increasing number can also be found in Europe, the Middle East and South Africa. However, they vary from country to country with regard to their characteristics, in particular with regard to the different reasons behind their development, such as Security, Race, and Prestige[7] For example in South Africa and some parts of the United States, the main reason for their emergence is the increase in the crime rate in their surroundings [2]. Some residents decide to escape this "risky" environment and live in a securely closed gated community. In other parts of the United States, they are designed primarily for the elite [1] While in Europe, the main reason for gated communities is the seasonal use of houses in coastal areas. ON THE OTHER HAND, IN MAJOR CITIES SUCH AS LONDON AND AMSTERDAM THEY HAVE BECOME A TRENDY TREND [8]. In Saudi Arabia, another type of gated community can be found. The purpose of the gated communities there is to provide their expatriate residents with the same lifestyle that exists in their home countries. So that they can freely carry out their daily activities, which are prohibited outside the gates because they go against local traditions or simply against the laws of the country[2] Therefore, it is mainly occupied by expatriates whose residency is part of their employment contract.

2.3 Physical and social features of gated communities

In his book "Making the Digital City" in the context of exploring the crisis of contemporary cities, Aurigi addressed that "cities have been shattered, and the city is not complete anymore. New edges are developing within the city itself "Retail" is perhaps the keyword when it comes to talking about contemporary urban space, this phenomenon can be observed in social life as well as the production of the built environment"[9]. A clear example of this is the recent developments of gated communities that cause physical and social spaces to disintegrate into seemingly independent and separate parts of each other. This is supported[8]. "The emergence of gated communities can lead to spatial fragmentation and segregation in cities as a result of its security and financial implications. It gives gated communities a sense of community, safety, security, and social exclusion leading to fragmentation and urban segregation." Thus, fragmentation can cause the city to no longer be complete. Or a city anymore. The social science literature on gated societies has been widely published, focusing specifically on the relationship between gated communities and social segregation. Gated enclaves are described as a physical and clear expression of post-industrial societal changes (fragmentation, individualism, and the rise of societies), as part of the trend of commodification of urban public space[10] and as a breakthrough into the ideologies of fear and security supported by economic and political actors[11]. A second set of arguments presents gated communities as symptoms of urban diseases, among which social exclusion is considered prominent. Residential segregation is a clear issue that occurs within cities through the development of gated communities. "Many approaches to the gated phenomenon suggest that it is a response to increased social inequality, situation-seeking behavior, and real or perceived fear of crime." [12]. The social characteristics of gated communities are usually determined according to the lifestyle of residents and their social interaction together. This theme is an important factor in the formation of gated communities. In this regard, the essence of gated communities is highly determinant of how associations between people and communities are formed and maintained in this area. In this case, the gap between low-level and high-income has always existed in gated communities from a physical perspective (gates, wall, location, etc.), moreover, can be recognized as a wide crack in social contact. This interpretation is strongly supported[1] who believed, "With reference to the experience of the United States, that while neighborhoods have always been able to exclude certain categories of the population through discrimination and the cost of housing, with gates and walls, they can now exclude not only unwanted new residents, but even new bystanders and people from surrounding areas. This has the potential to have a detrimental impact on urban sustainability and the process of social segregation in gated communities has significant implications for spatial and economic segregation of these communities as well. Gated communities exclude residents from other neighborhoods and even from occasional bystanders. This issue led to the phenomenon of social exclusion that creates a fence of interaction between people of different cultures, races, classes, and economic statuses. Gated communities have great potential for spatial fragmentation. In addition, they believed that gated communities were the cause of increasing polarization, fragmentation, and diminishing unity within urban society[13].

2.4 The social importance of the urban residential space:

The success of the design of residential neighborhoods is measured by the level of responsiveness of their urban spaces and open spaces to the collective activities of the residents of the neighborhood contain them, and give them a sense of comfort, tranquility, and safety; streets, pedestrian walkways, squares, and parks are open and common public spaces for all residents of the neighborhood, and constitute a suitable ground for meetings between them, and the practice of group activities for adults, and the availability of play areas in a safe atmosphere for children. The more space is used by residents, the more lively, convenient, and attractive it is in the residential community. The level of attractiveness of urban spaces and their ability to attract and accommodate the various activities of the neighborhood's external residents, both sexes and different age groups, is a key indicator of measuring their quality. The beauty of open spaces in residential neighborhoods depends on the skill and creative abilities of the urban designer in reaching distinct solutions that take into account the determination of the space area, the proportions of its dimensions, the surrounding building blocks, the type and texture of the materials used in it, colors, plants, and the provision of external brush elements for spaces (such as Chairs, umbrellas, waste baskets, and their distribution to suit the expected activities

2.5 Social requirements in the design of urban spaces in the residential environment

The social aspects are important factors in the formation of the physical structure of urban spaces and the surrounding architectural formations, they represent the template in which the special social relations between people revolve Space is the physical thing that surrounds the human being, and is associated with it, and has the characteristics, qualities, meanings and many symbols broadcast to the human being who tries to interpret them to remain continuous and interactive with him, and that the open space is linked to the place and the section of the so-called existential space, meaning that it means cognitive reactions or the image of the environment Lebenze reads space as a matrix of homogeneous sensory links between two units or two things that affect one another[14] and social interaction includes the mutual influence of the behavior of individuals and groups that is done through (communication), which in turn includes the use of symbols, language and signs, and this communication occurs when the goals of the group are one, and that the conflict in these goals leads to a state of separation between the individual and others, and prevents the formation of a unit of understanding of a single reference and in the field of interaction Human and the surrounding environment, the social interaction represents the mutual influence between man and the environment, and the meanings and symbols of this environment are understood by the individual and society[15] Social relations appear at all human levels and in various places and their degrees rise in the residential environment, the relations between the residents of the same residential environment depend mainly on informal relations, that is, personal relations between residents, friendship, face-to-face relations, and the strength of this relationship increases near Spatial proximity, as spatial proximity has a significant impact on strengthening the bonds of social relations), and emphasizes that the design aspect must be linked to the backgrounds and customs of society because of its impact on the nature of social relations[16]

2.6 Heller's theory of urban social space

Heller believes that buildings or the network of the total urban space of the city work in two ways, the first is the social organization of daily life as the formation of the space in which we live and move, and the second represents the spatial organization as a physical formation of the forms and elements that we see, both dimensions of which are inherently formative[17]. Thus, the social logic of space is based on environmental probabilism and depends on the daily life of urban space to generate meeting surfaces for individuals who are not linked by an ideological link or a value or cultural system, but rather depend on transient or temporary relationships to generate natural movement, which leads to the generation of natural movement and the economy of urban movement The urban system based on the common presence in space in life. Daily and environmental probability leads to linking space with society, which represents the idea of the virtual community, which expresses the space of potential possibilities for convergence and joint existence within which we live and move, as Hillier emphasizes that the generation of the virtual community is the only direct impact of space organization in space life, but what happens after that is within the influence of factors Cultural and civilizational[18] The theory of space synthesis also tried to solve the problem of space represented by (non-social space) and (non-space society) by describing society in terms of intrinsic space and describing space in terms of essential social behavior and the goal is to separate to show How to describe these two problems can be approached in order to construct a broad theory of the social logic of space and the spatial logic of society[19]. The theory of space composition sought to avoid space practice based on conceptual ideas in the way people meet in the space of daily life and as a result, the installation of space has led it constantly away from design as a language and conceptual strategy This has found the distance of theoretical expression through the concept of space formation, which embodies space relations with mutual dependence, which is non-discursive, it refers to space patterns which are read and understood intuitively by space testing, as in language where we do not think about words but use methods that are linked to structure to form meaning, and diacritics are unconsciously employed as a mental apparatus [17] The formation in the theory of space structure represents one of the types of space organization that is associated with social organization [20]. This means that the social logic of space from Heller's point of view depends more on the functional impact of the city's spatial relations based on the environmental potential of individuals and their common existence than on the cultural or ideological influence of society based on environmental determinism[21]. Space can be described based on the activities of people in it in three engineering ideas:

•Linear space (axial) when people move in it and consists of straight axes that accommodate the movement of people

• Convex space (where each point can see the other) when they interact inside space,

•The visual field space that sees space from anywhere in a variable shape according to the field of view of the eye

Hillier explained that space is the place where all human activities take place as it is considered a reflection of the social and cultural events that occur in the city, as it requires understanding the impact of space on people and how they use it and interact with each other when representing the space system can be analyzed as a system of structural relationships[17].

2.7 Methodology of the rules of the composition of space as a social measure of urban space

The composition of space is a set of analytical tools and scales that are used to test hypotheses for urban functions and the effects of urban design and classify two types of urban spaces are integrated spaces and isolated spaces at the topical and holistic level, the nature of the relationship between topical and holistic features determines the pattern of spatial structure of the urban environment and thus the impact of the social effectiveness of the space andThe basic idea of space structure theory is that urban space can be represented by focal lines for the purpose of analysis and to describe the relative correlation of these spaces and the rules of space installation relied on the ideas put forward about the relationship between space organization and society, as they are affected with each other, space is a social component and society is a space element, the rules of installation of a thousand lights are a set of techniques used to represent, measure and interpret the space systems of buildings[17]. The composition of space is a tool or technique for analyzing and discovering patterns of urban structure and for finding two types of relationships, the relationship between the inhabitants of the system on the one hand and the relationship between the inhabitants and strangers on the other. The nature of the relationship between topical and holistic features determines the pattern of the spatial structure of the urban environment and researchers tried to provide many studies on the theory of space installation at the analytical level or software as a theory of integration of space installation with geographic information systems) presented by (Bing Jiang) ) a specialist in spatial analysis of cities and the French urban designer as they proposed an alternative model for the theory of space structure based on the idea of (characteristics points) defined as nodes, which gives the communication diagram instead of the focal lines, i.e. the nodes are adopted in the analysis instead of the focal lines, as the nodes represent the areas of intersection of the street network Within the urban system. This theory has many advantages on the cognitive and programmatic side and this theory was applied to the Swedish city of Yavli. The urban designer defines the theory of space composition in a very understandable way when he explains the basic variables of the urban form that are analyzed within the composition of space, namely (ease of access) and how easy access is made between different spaces according to the changes taking place to form the urban form (Marcus, Architect and urban designer Kayvan Karimi adds that the theory of space structure focuses on the formation of a basic base between society and space to give the spatial nature of society as well as the social dimension of space.

Another study was presented by the British geographer and urban planner (Michael Batty), who proposed a new theory of space structure based on the relationship between structures, in this case the streets and their intersections, which results in the representation of two types of relationships

•The first is the monolithic problem, as the traditional space structure is based on the relationship between the streets through the nodes.

•Second, it is the bilateral relationship or problem, and it is based on the formal representation of the relationship between the contract through the street

On the other hand, Michael Batty developed a mathematical system to give a clear direction to connectivity and distance and illustrated these single and binary variables to analyze the street network of the French city of Cassin and recently researchers at Bartlett at the University College London (UCLThe Bartlett), developed the theory of space structure through the release of a new model known as (Depth Map). ) gives three types of morphological analysis (angular, topology, metric) in addition to finding correlations between spatial features.

•Angular analysis is the least change in the direction of motion of the body to move from point A to B since the analysis depends on the path in which the least change in the direction of motion is called (. (Map for short

•Topological analysis Here urban space is represented as a node, and within the stereotyped scheme, each space, and its connections to other spaces within the system are represented.

•Metric analysis the analysis is based on the line length in calculating the quantitative analysis of urban space.

Method

Practical side

The practical side of the research is based on a comparative analytical study of two study cases of housing projects in the holy province of Karbala for two different stages. The first stage is the analysis of the study cases as they are (the reality of the case) The second stage is the analysis of the study cases after changing their status from walled to non-walled or vice versa, as the first case study includes an open and non-gated residential neighborhood and the second case of a gated residential complex with gates With the identification of a unified measurement method for it represented by taking advantage of the applications of the Depth Map computer program specialized in analysis according to the rules of space syntax and thus applying the results of the selected measures of the program to the study cases in the first stage and comparing them with the results of the second stage, where then adding a fence to the first case of study and raising the fence from the second study case to know the impact of the presence of the fence or not on residential projects and its impact on interaction Social

3.1 Space Syntax Syntax Methodology

The urban designer defines the theory of space composition in a very understandable way when he explains the basic variables of the urban form, which are analyzed within the composition of space, namely (ease of access) and how easy access is made between different spaces according to the changes taking place to form the urban form[11] and architect and urban planner John D. Wineman points out that space installation is a set of analytical tools and metrics that are used to test hypotheses about urban functions and urban design effects. Thus, the composition of space represents a tool or technique for analyzing and discovering patterns of urban structure and for finding two types of relationships, the relationship between the inhabitants of the system on the one hand and the relationship between residents and strangers on the other. The composition of space classifies two types of urban spaces are integrated spaces and isolated spaces at the local and holistic level, the nature of the relationship between the topical and holistic features determines the pattern of the spatial structure of the urban environment The rules of space installation relied on the ideas put forward about the relationship between the spatial organization and society, as they are affected with each other, the vacuum is a social component and society is a space element, the rules of space installation are a set of techniques used to represent, measure and interpret the spatial systems of buildings [17] The basic idea of space structure theory is that urban space can be represented by axial lines for the purpose of analysis and to describe the relative correlation of these spaces or lines. The aim of the analysis is not only to describe spatial patterns but to show how different urban bodies are formed in different social aspects, these basic ideas are sufficient to give an interpretive framework for the urban structure[19] Space structure analysis generates two types of space extension, Axial Extension, Convex Extension, and these two extensions can actually be represented through the axial map, which represents the least number of the longest straight lines that pass through convex spaces, and the convex map, which represents the lowest set of convex spaces that cover the system[19]. The initial idea of the space syntax technique came as an attempt to understand the evolution of the growth of cities and the flows of movement between their parts, the development of urban growth of cities according to this technique depends on the analysis of the spatial components that made cities as they are now. It also depends on understanding the flows (Flows) absorbed by those spatial structures that express the movement of people and goods. The method of re-enacting urban structure based on axial lines is an early idea in the spatial sentence technique[19] where axial lines were used to represent movement directions, fields of view, and viewing within urban space. This method of representing architectural and urban spaces during the past two decades has become widely used in developing effective solutions to various problems facing the growth of cities, perhaps the most important of which is predicting the movement of vehicles and pedestrians, finding the path (Way Finding), analyzing urban expansions and their impact, and patterns of collective behavior of residents and visitors, and others, this technology provides the possibility of pre-testing quantitative and qualitative decisions related to the various elements of the city and its spatial structures.

3.2 Depth map

Researchers at Bartlett at the University College London (UCLThe Bartlett) developed the theory of space structure by issuing a model known as (Depth Map) as it gives three types of morphological analysis (angular, topology, metric) in addition to finding correlations between spatial features.

3.3 Axial Map

One of the patterns of organization in the rules of space structure and expresses the holistic kinetic extensions of the spaces of the system. It is represented by the least number and maximum lengths of lines that cover all spaces of the system and this method of space representation depends on drawing the axial lines that cover all urban spaces and are available for movement and viewing, where these lines intersect with each other to form a network of interconnected elements, which is known as the axial map, this map consists of the least number of longer axes that cover the entire spatial system to be represented, which may be the spaces of a building, region or entire city. To know the method that is followed in the technique of the spatial sentence in order to represent the spaces through the focal lines and find mathematical and graphic measures in terms of human perception of space, they realize spaces with limited amplitude instantaneously through observation and they cannot perceive the entire relatively wide spatial structures except through many consecutive scenes during the movement in a period of time that may be longer or shorter depending on the size of those structures, and that the perception of the whole necessarily requires awareness of the parts, for example, it is not possible to perceive the spatial formations of a dwelling Without awareness of all its rooms, a city can only be perceived by recognizing the streets and squares that make up its spatial structures. To conduct practical study calculations, the research relied on the Depthmap computer program, through which the kinetic relationships of space systems can be analyzed. The program calculates several metrics that are divided into two parts:

-Global Measures: They are measures that express the relationship between any point in the system with all parts of the system

-Local Measures: These are measures that depend on the relationship between any point in the system and the points directly related to it only.

This analysis aims to understand the basic relationship between each of the main open spaces and the spatial pattern The theory of spatial structure has been based mainly on the hypothesis of the social logic of space, which provides an overview of how to identify individuals with space in built environments and the impact of space on social behavior and social relations and the procedures are as follows:

•Draw a studied case map (longest and least pivot lines) to get the pivot map Axial by the program. Auto cad

•Export the DXf file to a program. Depthmap UCL

•Analyze pivot maps to obtain important measurements and relationships.

•With the color spectrum scale below, we can read the results of the analysis of pivot maps by determining the values of the indicator to be studied increase or decrease, red represents a high and high value and blue represents a very low value.

Source (Mariam Madhawi,2019)

The following indicators have been adopted as shown in Table (1):

Source Researcher

Integration

The degree of integration ranges around the value (1) and whenever the value is more than 1, it indicates a high integration value, and the axes with high integration indicate movement and functions with high activity such as the commercial function, integration indicates the vitality of the space.

Intelligibility

This term illustrates the interrelationship between two very important standards, namely comprehensive integration and communication or associative and it refers to the most obvious or understandable spaces, and the value of clarity refers to the possibility of understanding and perceiving the urban system of the neighborhood and understanding the spaces by wandering in a number of them, and whenever the value of synergy is high, it indicates that residents do not need to skip many neighborhood spaces or residential complex to understand its various parts.

Synergy

It means the relationship between comprehensive integration and local integration, and the value of synergy or synergy refers to the possibility of urban spaces in supporting or hindering the flow of movement of residents or visitors.

3.4 Definition of Selected Research Models

3.4.1 Dorat Karbala Residential Complex

•The complex is located south of Karbala province and is away from the center of Karbala and the shrine of Imam Hussein by 6 km and away from Karbala Street - Najaf by 1300 m in the neighborhoods adjacent to the Saif Saad neighborhood as in picture No. (1) and that the complex is surrounded by a wall and is linked to the streets and neighboring residential neighborhoods through gates.

•The project contains 1260 housing units (house) in an integrated service complex on a land area of 266 acres, i.e. (660,000) square meters, and the housing units are distributed within 5 categories as in Figure (2), Figure (3 ), Figure (4)

- Residential units with an area of 190 m²

- Residential units with an area of 200 square meters

- Residential units with an area of 220 m²

- Residential units with an area of 300 square meters

- Residential units with an area of 400 square meters

- The project contains service buildings such as mosques, primary and preparatory schools, kindergartens, a daily shopping center, swimming pools, and public parks as in Figure (5)

Source: Google Earth

Source: Google Earth

3.4.2 Al-Osra Educational Residential Neighborhood

It is located in the center of the holy province of Karbala as in Figure (5) adjacent to Al-Hussein Teaching Hospital as in Figure (6) The neighborhood was developed at the beginning of the seventies of the last century and is with engineering planning according to the Doxiades scheme and with horizontal housing units and an area of 155 acres as in Figure (7) and is linked to the streets and residential neighborhoods directly adjacent through Internal and external streets

Source: Google Earth

Source: Google Earth

Source: Google Earth

3.5 Analysis of study cases using the program (depthmap)

Through the analysis of study case plans using the program (depthmap) research reviews the pivot analysis schemes of the study cases of the first stage (current reality) and the second stage (after change) as in figures (8) and schemes of the selected scales as each scheme indicates an individual scale for each case study

Source: Researcher

Source: Researcher

Result and Discussion

Final results

In view of the values that have been extracted for the selected study cases and for both stages (the reality of the situation) and (after the change), which reflect a number of pivotal measures and based on the pivotal maps that show the distribution of these values spatially in the spatial system, the following has been shown:

1. Integration

The results of the axial analysis and according to figures (9) (10) and Table (2) showed that the Durrat Karbala residential complex in the first stage has the average value of the integration variable (1.19) (The reality of the situation with the presence of the fence) while the second stage increased the average value after the change and raising the fence and the value of (1.21) In the educational family neighborhood, the average value of the integration variable (1. 21) (in fact there is no fence) while the average value of the integration variable decreased to (1.19) (after the change with the presence of the virtual fence)

2.Intelligibility clarity

The results of the axial analysis according to figures (11) (12) and Table (3) show that the Dorat Karbala residential complex in the first stage has a variable value of clarity (0.39) (the reality of the presence of the fence) while the second stage increased the value of the variable of clarity after the change and raising the fence and the value of (0.44) In the educational family neighborhood, the value of the variable Clarity (0.29) (the reality of the case is that there is no fence) while the value of the clarity variable decreased to (0.27) (after the change with the presence of the default fence)

3. Synergy Synergy

The results of the axial analysis according to figures (13) (14) and Table (4) show that the Dorat Karbala residential complex in the first phase has the value of the synergy variable (0.67) (the reality of the situation with the presence of the fence) while the second stage increased the value of the synergy variable after the change and raising the fence and the value of (0.75) In the educational family neighborhood, the value of the synergy variable ( 0.70) (the reality of the situation is that there is no fence) while the value of the clarity variable decreased to (0.62) (after the change with the presence of the default fence)

Conclusions

5.1 Conclusions

1.The value of clarity refers to the possibility of absorbing and realizing the urban system of the neighborhood and understanding the spaces by wandering around a number of them, and whenever the value of synergy is high, it indicates that the residents do not need to skip a lot of neighborhood spaces or residential complex to understand its various parts, and thus the presence of the fence reduces the value of clarity and reduces the value of integration, which refers to the vitality of the space

2.The value of synergy refers to the possibility of urban spaces supporting or hindering the flow of traffic of residents or visitors, and that gated communities have a lower synergy value compared to non-fenced ones, thus reducing and hindering this flow of movement.

3.Most urban spaces in the current (fenced) residential investment projects lack social interaction at the city level, although they are characterized by high internal social interaction, it does not support the theory of social logic because it deals with the relationship between individuals who are not linked by an ideological link or a value or cultural system, but rather depend on transient relationships.

4.The separation and isolation of current residential investment projects from the fabric of the city has led to poor quality of life and efficient use of urban spaces in the residential environment and their social effectiveness.

5.The kinetic and traffic interconnection in the residential environment with its neighborhoods within the city increases the possibility of multiple and diverse functions, multiple uses of spaces, increased flow, and ease of choosing the roads that the user can take, but this may reduce the privacy, safety, and safety of the residents.

5.2 Recommendations

1.Conducting a major general assessment and secondary evaluations of the components of urban systems in cities to know the most important indicators achieved within the social interaction approach

2.Reconsidering the mobility and traffic system of cities by supporting urban connectivity in the fabric, achieving spatial and functional connectivity within the urban system, and addressing segregation and isolation between residential neighborhoods.

3.Giving greater importance to urban spaces within residential neighborhoods through their multiple functional uses, ease of access, and activating their role in social interaction by adopting kinetic and visual interdependence between residential neighborhoods and their neighborhoods.

4.Review urban designs for current residential investment projects and emphasize that they are part of the city's urban fabric and not independent urban systems

Giving the privacy and culture of society a clear role in designing residential neighborhoods and moving away from globalization

Review and study gated housing projects and emphasize the importance of not isolating them functionally, visually, and kinetically from their external surroundings, which causes social isolation and societal disintegration

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