Planned Communities – great or cultish?

More than 30 years ago, I made a history exam at university in ... 'planned communities'.

It was a kind of pilot project in those days: taking a theme - planned communities - and covering with it all necessary times (here: ancient times, middle ages and modern ages) with all relevant subjects.

The places were the Roman camp Castra Vetera (now Xanten, in Germany) [there I even made my practical archaeology exam ]), Nuremberg and a planned community for mine workers from the late 19th century in the Ruhr-district.

The general ideas hadn't changed much, only how houses were built and how the planning was focussed (= what was the priority).

I have no objection to the concept of a Planned Community--but before buying into one, I'd read the by-laws very closely and talk to people who already lived there.

The problem isn't in the concept--the problem is in the Board of Directors who would be interpreting the concepts.

Personally, I don't care at all for sharing a living space with that many people. Especially in a community where they shun individual tastes and preferences. My dream home is far away from any urban environment, where the only sounds I hear are the ones my family makes and the wildlife. Thankfully, in Canada there are a lot of spaces like this.

goddam right.... if you're not the lead dog the view is always the same...

I've had viewing windows on three "planned" communities: a rather exclusive upper-middle class "executive" development and a trailer park, and my parent's condo complex.

The trailer park was definitely the most acrimonious of the three living situations. There were several retired men who saw themselves as appointed to preserve the dignity and decorum of the community--and teenage boys are neither dignified nor decorous.

Applewood frowned on vegetable gardens in the front yard--even if this is the only place on the property that got full sunlight. Otherwise, the community restrictions didn't seem onerous.

While my parents moved into The Mews, the residents were all property owners. Over the space of twenty years more and more of the condos became rental properties and the rules became less "by consensus" and more letter-of-the-law.

I googled Celebration and all I can say is Ewww. Talk about living in a bubble. Not even your own imaginary bubble, but someone else's.

I lean more towards cultish feel than "Great!". Though some are reasonable and remain human.

But even the "parks" in this city I despise. I don't like spending time there, I don't like looking at it from the highway, I don't understand the appeal of row after row of obviously very expensive 'mansions' that are squatted right beside each other, no big back yards, no chaotic life.

I like mess. I like space. I like people too, just not all agreeing on what is on view that day when I wake up.

My favorite places are in the 'sticks' and right in the mess of whatever parts are serving as the mixing bowl of the city for the moment. Mess and space is good.