Today's cities are experiencing strong transformation processes linked to the gradual withdrawal of the State from urban planning, and to the active role of the market in the distribution and uses of space in urban areas. Gated communities are one of the expressions of these transformations. The article reviews the empirical and conceptual background associated with these neighborhoods, whose proliferation makes it necessary to rethink the notions of segregation and spatial fragmentation in today's cities. Such a review makes it possible to understand location criteria, functional integration with the environment, and the explanations provided for the appearance and expansion of these neighborhoods in cities. The future challenge is to examine the spatial subjectivities coexisting in these neighborhoods.