Vera Bondoc

https://youtu.be/R4jy7gy3JIs?si=AS7ZIlKlEYFDORBH

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Mayors would love this. 🙃😈

Private properties should not be allowed to block pre-existing streets and pedestrian access.

“𝐆𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞 — 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐚𝐧 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲.”

Gated subdivisions are not the enemy.
People want safety, peace, and privacy — and that’s valid.

But when walls cut through the city like a maze, forcing everyone else to walk farther, drive longer, and navigate dead ends, we create a new problem:
🚫 Connectivity collapses
🚫 Traffic worsens
🚫 Walkability disappears
🚫 The city becomes a collection of islands

The solution isn’t to destroy gated communities.
The solution is to regulate them smarter.
✔ Permeable edges — walking and cycling paths along the perimeter
✔ Public easements — safe routes that connect neighborhoods
✔ Green, human-scale walls — instead of fortress-style blank barriers
✔ Pedestrian gates that open during peak hours
✔ Design that respects both privacy AND mobility

Gated communities can keep their quiet streets.
But they shouldn’t privatize connectivity for the rest of the city.
Because a truly safe city is one that works for everyone — not just those living behind a wall.

At the Kapana Creative District in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.

Walls Full of Life (8 Photos): https://streetartutopia.com/2025/10/14/walls-full-of-life/

Yes... 👍

Midrise mixed use, shared courtyard. ❤️👍