With cities growing rapidly and industries being concentrated in the outskirts, it’s not uncommon for people to take up housing in the suburbs, near their places of work.

While choosing a residence, whether in an established area of the city or in an up and coming area, you obviously will want to settle down in a neighbourhood that provides safety, privacy and convenience for yourself and your family.

Especially if you choose to live in an up and coming area, choosing to live in a township or gated community versus living in a stand-alone villa or apartment building can make or break your living experience.

Here are a few key reasons we believe living in a township or gated community is far, far beneficial than living in an independent set-up:

SAFETY & SECURITY

This is a no-brainer. The walled enclosure of a township means that your family is safe from the outside world. Builders of good repute will have world-class security team manning the gates along with 24×7 CCTV cameras installed.

A common concern for those people with small children is that their dwelling should have ample place for the children to play. That is one of the reasons why most people with young children prefer to live in a house with their own private garden or backyard, as opposed to living in a cramped apartment building. But in a township, this problem is resolved easily. You can choose to live in flats within a township and still have ample space for your children to play safely without having to leave the gate.

Not only children, a township is safe for the elderly as well for several reasons. For example, they no longer have to step outside the gates in case they wish to go for a walk.

AMENITIES

By far the biggest benefit of living in a township are the quiet, open spaces around you. A thoughtful township builder will incorporate a large percentage of open space within buildings/villas in a township so that there is ample greenery and as a result, fresh air to breathe. At S&P Foundation, we aim to have at least 60% open spaces within our townships. See our ongoing township projects here and upcoming township projects here.

Beyond these, good townships will also have solid infrastructure. This includes well-laid roads built with the best raw materials, along with ample street lighting. Furthermore, sewage treatment plants (STP) and water treatment plants (WTP) make townships more desirable and hyegenic than stand-alone buildings and villas.

Another advantage of living in a township or gated community is that everything you need is close by – within the four walls of the community itself. Especially if you are living in an up and coming area where social infrastructure is not fully developed, it doesn’t hurt to have good amenities close to you. Need to buy groceries urgently? Look no further than the gate, as a grocery store is available within the township. Want to relax by playing some indoor or outdoor games? A good township will have games facilities you can use round the clock. With a well-built club house, you will rarely have a boring day in a township.

At S&P, our aim is to build townships which not only have all essential amenities within the four walls, but also make sure we build townships in areas of the city where excellent social infrastructure is present. Our current projects S&P Essense and S&P Living Spaces in Mogappair West Extn., Chennai are located near top schools (such as Velammal and SBOA, etc.) and hospitals (like Apollo Specialty Hospital, Madras Medical Mission, etc.).

COMMUNITY

An obvious benefit of a township is that of community. For example, at S&P Foundation, we aim to build large townships where not less than 200 families reside. Now imagine living in a township which offers privacy and open space, but also the opportunity to network and get to know families and people in different fields so well.

Just by virtue of having a walled township with several amenities like a club house where people can interact, a special atmosphere is created where you and the rest of the residents can bond. That is what townships do – they create real communities. Communities that you can turn to any time you need help. Communities that your children can grow up with. And communities where you can make life-long friendships and build what will essentially become your extended family.

Did you find this article useful? What other benefits do you believe townships or gated communities have? Let us know in the comments below.