Gated Community Versus Inclusive Urban Development: A Case Study of the Old District 2, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

The “Gated community” concept has been a topic of interest since the 1990s and is increasingly becoming a popular urban model worldwide (Roitman in Proc Instit Civil Eng Urban Des Plann 163:31–38 [1]). This project model restricts access to people outside the community, and it was born because of increased fear of crime, maintenance of property values, development of individualism, etc. (Blandy in People Place Policy Online 1:47–54 [2]). Meanwhile, “Inclusive urbanization” seeks to solve problems of accessing urban services and improve the equity of urban socio-economic structure by ensuring that all people have equal rights and opportunities to access the same service level (Lemaire and Daniel in Inclusive urban planning—promoting equality and inclusivity in urban planning practices [3]). These two trends lead to a gap between the reality of housing development and the desire for urban inclusivity. To reflect upon this phenomenon, this chapter examines a case study of the old District 2 (which currently belongs to Thu Duc sub-city), Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, where many gated communities are located. The old District 2 was established in 1997 and gradually developed into a new urban area with vibrant commercial activities and diverse residential typologies. It has become an expatriate zone for the expats and their families, especially in the gated ones. Using field observation, secondary research, and mapping, this research will describe the types of gated communities and outline the main reasons for this trend. It raises concerns about inclusivity in urban development, an international discourse in the last few decades. The research paper is also a premise for further studies on the housing trends in Ho Chi Minh City, which will help find ways to harmonize the desire for inclusive urban societies and residential development needs.