Table Of ContentUniversity of South Florida
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Graduate Teses and Dissertations Graduate School
2009
Living behind bars?: An investigation of gated
communities in New Tampa, Florida
Scot E. Nonnemaker
University of South Florida
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Living Behind Bars?
An Investigation of Gated Communities in New Tampa, Florida
by
Scott E. Nonnemaker
A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the degree of
Master of Arts
Department of Geography
College of Arts and Sciences
University of South Florida
Major Professor: M. Martin Bosman, Ph.D.
Jayajit Chakraborty, Ph.D.
Mark Hafen, Ph.D.
Date Submitted:
April 6, 2009
Keywords: restricted-access community, elite community, common interest development,
community development district, homeowners association
© Copyright 2009, Scott Nonnemaker
Acknowledgements
I would like to take a moment to thank all of the individuals who were
instrumental in helping me throughout this entire project. I would like to sincerely thank
my advisor and friend Dr. M. Martin Bosman whose unwavering support and dedication
was integral during this three and a half year process. You were always someone I could
count on for thought provoking conversation, and gentle guidance.
To my committee members, Dr. Jayajit Chakraborty and Dr. Mark Hafen, thank
you for all your help and encouragement. My thesis is a better product for having had
both of you as committee members, and I believe I am a better academic and person for
having had you both as professors and friends during my undergraduate and graduate
tenure at USF.
I would like to express my deepest thanks to all of the residents of Arbor Greene,
Hunter’s Green, and Grand Hampton for welcoming me into their communities and
homes, and allowing me talk with them, get to know them, and for letting me share their
quite interesting stories in this thesis. Without your assistance, this thesis could never
have been written.
Last but certainly not least, my endless appreciation and love goes to my family
and friends, for their love, support, and patience throughout my entire graduate school
journey, especially my wife, Nicole. Thank you for standing by me, as I close this very
important chapter of my life, only to start the next exciting one.
Table of Contents
List of Tables iii
List of Figures v
List of Maps vii
Abstract vi
Chapter One: Introduction 1
Chapter Two: Research Objectives 3
Study Hypotheses 3
Study Research Questions 4
Chapter Three: Study Area 5
A Brief History of Tampa 6
Spatial Distribution of Gated Communities in Tampa 7
Arbor Green 8
Hunter’s Green 11
Grand Hampton 13
Chapter Four: Literature Review 16
Definition of Gated Community 17
History 17
Spatial Distribution 19
Different Classifications 21
Demographic Trends 22
Private Governance 23
Homeowners Associations in CIDs 26
Community Development Districts in CIDs 26
Privileging Rules over a Sense of Community in CIDs 27
Socio/Economic Push/Pull Factors 29
Fear of Crime 29
Desire for Privacy/Seclusion 30
The Search for Homogeneity 30
Lack of Trust in Public Government 31
i
Chapter Five: Methodology 33
Quantitative Methodology 35
Structured Surveys 36
Qualitative Methodology 52
Semi-Structured Interviews 52
(Con)textual Sources 55
Analysis of the Qualitative Data 57
Chapter Six: Quantitative Analysis (Analysis of Structured Interview) 60
Demographic Analysis 62
Why This Community? (Quantitative Analysis) 72
Perceptions about Life in Gated Communities (Quantitative Analysis) 93
Perceptions of Security and the Aesthetics of the Community 97
Perceptions of Private Governance and Community Involvement 98
Chapter Seven: Qualitative Analysis (Analysis of the Semi-Structured Interviews) 104
Why this Community? (Qualitative Analysis) 106
Security 107
Aesthetic Apeal 1
Maintaining Property Values 113
Community Interaction 15
Privacy and Amenities 17
Private Governance 121
Perceptions about Life in Gated Communities (Qualitative Analysis) 123
Perceptions about Security 124
Perceptions of Social Interaction vs. Economic Responsibility 129
Chapter Eight: Final Conclusions & Opportunities for Additional Research 137
List of References 143
Appendix A: Structured Survey Questions 147
Appendix B: Letter of Consent 154
Appendix C: Semi-Structured Interview Guide Questions 156
Appendix D: Coding Sheet for Collected Survey Data 160
ii
List of Tables
Table 3.1 The thirteen separate neighborhoods within Arbor Greene. 9
Table 3.2 The twenty-four separate neighborhoods within Hunter’s Green 11
Table 3.3 The ten separate proposed neighborhoods within Grand Hampton 14
Table 5.1 Summary Table for Number of Homes which received a
Questionnaire by Spatial Category. 46
Table 6.1 The Cronbach’s alpha for 1) gated community pull-factors;
2) perceptions of aesthetic appeal; and 3) Perceptions of the
Homeowners Association. 61
Table 6.2 (a) A comparative analysis of the gender makeup between
the respondents of this study (2007) and the entire New
Tampa area (2000). 66
Table 6.2 (b) A comparative analysis of the racial/ethnic makeup between
the respondents of this study (2007) and the entire New
Tampa area (2000). 67
Table 6.2 (c) A comparative analysis of the annual household income
levels between the respondents of this study (2007) and
the entire New Tampa area (2000). 67
Table 6.2 (d) A comparative analysis of the marital status between the
respondents of this study (2007) and the entire New
Tampa area (2000). 67
Table 6.2 (e) A comparative analysis of the length of residency between
the respondents of this study (2007) and the entire New
Tampa area (2000). 68
Table 6.3 The relationships between the informants’ desire for
security within their respective gated community, and the
demographic makeup of the sample. 75
Table 6.4 The relationships between the informants’ desire for
iii
aesthetic appeal within their respective gated community,
and the demographic makeup of the sample. 77
Table 6.5 The relationships between the informants’ desire for
property values within their respective gated community,
and the demographic makeup of the sample. 80
Table 6.6 The relationships between the informants’ desire
for community interaction within their respective gated
community, and the demographic makeup of the sample. 82
Table 6.7 The relationships between the informants’ desire for
privacy within their respective gated community, and
the demographic makeup of the sample. 84
Table 6.8 The relationships between the informants’ desire for
amenities within their respective gated community, and
the demographic makeup of the sample. 87
Table 6.9 A statistical breakdown of how often informants
used the different amenities within their respective
gated community. 89
Table 6.10 The relationships between the informants’ desire for
private governance within their respective gated community,
and the demographic makeup of the sample. 91
Table 6.11(a) The relationships between those factors which influenced
informants to move into a gated community, and the perceptions
they have regarding the security and aesthetic appeal
of their community. 95
Table 6.11(b) The relationships between those factors which influenced
informants to move into a gated community, and the perceptions
they have regarding their Homeowners Association, as well as
how much they interact with their neighbors 96
Table 7.1 The demographic, geographic, and spatial distribution
of the seventeen interview informants for this study 105
iv
List of Figures
Figure 3.1 (a) The Sign at the main entrance of Arbor Greene 10
Figure 3.1 (b) The staffed guard house at the Main Entrance of Arbor Greene 10
Figure 3.1 (c) The Clubhouse in Arbor Greene 10
Figure 3.2 (a) The entrance to Osprey Pointe; 1 of 6 privately gated
neighborhoods within Hunter’s Green 12
Figure 3.2 (b) The sign at the main entrance at Hunter’s Green 12
Figure 3.2 (c) The staffed guard house at the rear entrance of Hunter’s Green 12
Figure 3.3 (a) The sign at the main entrance of Grand Hampton 14
Figure 3.3 (b) The staffed guard house at the main entrance of Grand Hampton 15
Figure 3.3 (c) The clubhouse in Grand Hampton 15
Figure 6.1 (a) The demographic breakdown by gender of those individuals
who participated in the survey portion of this study 62
Figure 6.1 (b) The demographic breakdown by age of those individuals
who participated in the survey portion of this study 63
Figure 6.1 (c) The demographic breakdown by ethnicity of those individuals
who participated in the survey portion of this study 63
Figure 6.1 (d) The demographic breakdown by income level of those individuals
who participated in the survey portion of this study 64
Figure 6.1 (e) The demographic breakdown by age of those individuals who
participated in the survey portion of this study 64
Figure 6.1 (f) The demographic breakdown by whether or not those individuals
who participated in the survey portion of this study have
dependents < 18 living at their residence 65
v
Figure 6.1 (g) The demographic breakdown of how long each individual who
participated in the survey portion of this study had lived in his/her
residence 65
vi
List of Maps
Map 3.1 A map of the study area 5
Map 3.2 A map of the relative location of the three gated communities 6
Map 5.1 A map of those properties in Grand Hampton randomly selected
to receive a questionnaire 48
Map 5.2 A map of those properties in Hunters Green randomly selected to
receive a questionnaire 49
Map 5.3 A map of those properties in Arbor Greene randomly selected to
receive a questionnaire 50
vii
