Fencing the Forest?

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the practice of fencing many parks and plazas in the city of Buenos Aires, even when there was no apparent reason to do so. Now the issue has come up in Santiago de Chile, where a group of neighbors and legislators are protesting a planned fence around the Parque Forestal greenbelt that runs along the Río Mapocho downtown. As I suggested before, some public open spaces do need protection from vandalism, but the closure of Parque Forestal would be a big blow to a liveable Santiago. I'm hoping the city consider alternatives before undertaking what should be a last-ditch option--fences are easier to erect than they are to remove.