Battlement Mesa: a case study of community evolution

Abstract

The transition of Battlement Mesa, Colorado, from a blue-collar company town to a community advertised to attract retirees and more recently a community attempting to attract commuter workers from ski resort areas is examined. The paper evaluates the impact of detailed planning, economically segregated housing, and retiree/worker status on social cleavages within Battlement Mesa. Much of this analysis is framed in the literature concerning “sense of community” and “gated communities.”