Passage: Gated communities are the ultimate expression of the 'fortress city,' a response to perceived urban disorder and crime. While they offer residents a heightened sense of safety, they also institutionalize the 'fragmentation' of the urban fabric. By physically and legally walling off a portion of the city, gated communities withdraw from the common obligations of urban life, such as shared public schools and infrastructure. This withdrawal creates a 'secession of the successful,' where those with capital can buy their way out of the problems of the wider city. The result is a cycle of disinvestment and mutual suspicion that undermines the social cohesion necessary for a healthy metropolis.