An outpouring of literature on privatisation of public and residential realms has been a hallmark of the last two decades and, in particular, in relation to dis-courses of globalisation, neoliberalisation and commercialisation. Most of this literature focuses on assumed and actual impacts of privitism on social sustainability with most authors having a strong bias for the negative aspects thereof. In this context Bagaeen and Uduku’s book is a welcome, optimistic and positive contribution to the growing body of knowledge around gated residential developments. The book covers a series of gated community case studies from around the world: China, The Middle East, France, Mexico, New Zealand, Argentina, Nigeria and South Africa. The stated aim of these case studies is to ‘open up the question of gated communities’ through conceptualising and historicising urban gating. To this end the tenor of the case studies is positive and constructive rather than lamenting the often cited negative aspects of gated, frequently privatised, residential developments: social polarisation, resource inequity and the negation of social responsibility and citizenship to name but a few. All the case studies are historically grounded to emphasise the cultural and social embeddedness of urban gating. In this respect, the book clearly locates urban gating in an historical context rather than presenting it as a late 20th early 21st century phenomenon.