A window into the secret lives of gated communities
This is a bit dated, but last April, a group calling itself Heavy Trash made a billiant commentary on gated communities. Hidden behind walls and gates, these enclaves of wealth remove themselves from the rest of a city, focusing instead on privitizing security, recreation, and public space. The result is the writing off of other parts of town, isolation from urban problems, and a lack of civic responsibility.
On April 24, 2005, Heavy Trash volunteers deposited bright orange viewing platforms in front of three Los Angeles gated communities; Brentwood Circle, Park La Brea and Laughlin Park. The purpose of these viewing platforms is to draw attention to the phenomenon of gated communities — the fastest growing form of housing in the United States. “There are now more than 1 million homes behind such walls in the greater Los Angeles area alone,” according to Setha Low, a professor at the City University of New York.
Featured in Activism
The Hard Work of Rebuilding Haiti Continues
Political Graffiti in Buenos Aires