Turning social relations into space: Property, law and the plaza of Santa Fe, New Mexico

In this article, a series of controversies in and over the central Plaza of Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA is examined. The complex and contradictory dynamics of law and property as they intersect to shape and define a critical public space that is the symbolic heart of Santa Fe's landscape are explored. It is argued that laws and regulations that determine the activities that may occur in the Plaza, that restrict some actions, or that adjudicate ownership disputes literally shape the lands to which they pertain. It is shown that one purpose of law is to negotiate just how the social relations that are property get transformed into the regulated space that is property.