In recent years, gated communities have increasingly become an attractive lifestyle residence worldwide and in the Middle fostering security, privacy, seclusion, and exclusivity. Nonetheless, it seems that with these benefits, other impacts had unfolded and exposed the urban fabric to new attributes such as segregation, fragmentation, and social exclusion. However, gaps exist in the literature on comparative studies on gated communities in regions such as GCC (Gulf Corporation Council) countries and the Middle East (Glasze & Alkhayyal, 2002). This paper aims to examine the social impact of gated communities on the surrounding neighbourhoods through a comparative analysis of cases from the Middle East and GCC. The methodology was implemented to develop a qualitative framework of social segregation indicators to examine similarities and differences between the cases, aiming to identify patterns and gain insights to answer the article’s question of whether this phenomenon can be contagious in different settings. Findings reveal that gated communities can have negative and positive impacts on the social well-being of the surrounding neighbourhoods and may lead to social segregation and exclusion in different geographical settings despite their emergence motives. The paper concludes that isolation and lack of interaction between residents inside and outside the walls may have impacts on the social aspect of the surroundings.

The trend of gated communities is becoming the new alternative housing for the high-end residents of Jordan, reflecting global patterns of urbanisation. However, their emergence on the outskirts of Amman on vacant lands requires an early proactive planning approach to ensure their development in response to the growth of the surrounding areas, fostering an integrated urban fabric. This article examines whether gated communities contribute to urban discontinuity and lead to social segregation. The study employs a space syntax analysis on two cases in Amman to assess their integration, accessibility, and navigability to address the study’s key questions related to its integration, design implications, and spatial layout. Findings reveal significant spatial segregation, with low levels of integration and high step depth values, indicating potential challenges in navigation, connectivity, residents’ mobility, accessibility, and safety. The article suggests the importance of re-evaluating the design and planning approaches for these developments to promote organic townscape growth to ensure smooth integration with the surroundings.

Gated communities have been widely examined as a contemporary urban phenomenon, yet their emergence in the Middle East reflects broader socioeconomic and cultural transformations rather than a direct continuation of historical spatial practices. Historically, Arabian cities featured compact, human-scaled urban layouts with walled perimeters, narrow streets, and shared courtyards, fostering social cohesion, security, and communal interaction. These spatial characteristics evolved organically, balancing privacy with integration to meet communal needs. This article examines the historical evolution of enclosed neighbourhoods in Arabian cities and their sociospatial connections to modern gated communities, assessing their impact on urban sustainability. By employing historical inquiry, this study investigates how traditional principles, such as privacy, community resilience, and spatial hierarchy, have been inherited, reinterpreted, or redefined in contemporary developments. Findings indicate that historical Arabian cities reinforced internal cohesion and self-governance, whereas modern gated communities introduce deliberate spatial and social segregation, disrupting urban connectivity and weakening social sustainability. The study highlights critical implications for urban planning, suggesting that integrating historical spatial principles can create inclusive and adaptable contemporary developments.

Across the Middle East, gated communities have become a defining feature of contemporary urban development, raising urgent questions about spatial inequality, public access, and social cohesion. This study examines the socio-spatial impacts of these developments by combining qualitative perceptions from regional expert interviews with in-depth analysis of two case studies in Jordan: Al Andalucía and Green Land. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with urban planners, architects, and policy experts from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, the study employs thematic analysis to investigate expert perspectives on gated communities as a regional planning phenomenon. Findings reveal four dominant themes: (1) gated communities intensify spatial fragmentation and disconnection from surrounding urban fabric; (2) private sector dominance leads to unregulated, market-driven development that weakens strategic urban planning; (3) the erosion of inclusive public space and social cohesion is widely perceived as a social cost; and (4) gated living is framed as an aspirational lifestyle associated with security, prestige, and socio-economic distinction. The article concludes by calling for more inclusive urban policies that balance private development with inclusive planning strategies to mitigate the long-term impacts of fragmentation and exclusivity in Middle Eastern cities.