Fencing a Field: Imagined Others in the Unfolding of a Neighborhood Park Conflict David Trouille* James Madison University This article offers a detailed analysis of a neighborhood dispute over fencing a pub- lic park. Unlike the archetypal turf battles between longstanding and new neigh- borhood residents described in previous research, here the daily visits of Latino “outsiders” coming into a local public space produce conflict over park usage and control. The usually cited conditions for conflict, such as reactionary residents re- sisting ethnic transition and protecting their backyards, do not apply in this case, as the park sits amidst a relatively stable, affluent, white “liberal” neighborhood. This case study shows how sources of tension and trouble extend beyond the property interests and actions of the park users to include the more symbolic and indirect concerns about identity as reflected in park use. Together with longstanding con- cerns over neighborhood reputation and property values, changing demographics and greater sensitivity to the perception of racism distinctively shaped the unfolding of conflict in this case. The bumpy course of conflict and shifting opinions about the fence shed light on the new complexities and contradictions of contemporary social diversity and exclusion in city parks and other public spaces. INTRODUCTION This article offers a detailed analysis of contemporary urbanites arguing about the fenc- ing of a public park where Latinos from elsewhere played soccer. The bumpy and at times contradictory course of conflict in this case sheds light on the new challenges and oppor- tunities urban residents face in maintaining status and exclusivity in today’s increasingly diverse American cities. Alongside traditional concerns over neighborhood reputation and property values, changing demographics incited disagreement and greater sensitiv- ity to the perception of racism spurred resolution. Research on park conflicts has historically concentrated on competing sets of users, an issue typically arising within the context of “changing” neighborhoods, meaning neigh- borhoods in which the income level or ethnicity of nearby residents is changing (Pattillo 2007; Suttles 1968; Zorbaugh 1929). Park conflicts, in these cases, often become symbol- ically charged battles over the meaning, control, and future of city neighborhoods. The issue is not so much what is going on in parks per se, but what it says about the transition in the surrounding area and its residents (Firey 1944; Suttles 1972). Homeowners are shown to be particularly sensitive to perceived changes in the community’s identity and ∗ Correspondence should be addressed to David Trouille, James Madison University, 800 S. Main St., Harrison- burg, VA 22807; trouilda@jmu.edu. City & Community 13:1 March 2014 doi: 10.1111/cico.12052 C  2014 American Sociological Association, 1430 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 69