His was one of several small homeless encampments that have bloomed in the park in recent months, commandeering fields that border a playground, a baseball diamond, and a basketball court.

Residents say these camps are ruining a sacred part of the neighborhood. Created in 1974 when a group of activists clinched a $1-a-year lease from BART, Ohlone Park turned a three-block strip of sidewalk into a lush greenway. For decades, it’s been a place for picnics, little league practices and morning tai chi....

Maio responded by proposing new ordinances that the City Council approved Tuesday to bring the homeless problems under control, in part by discouraging people from strewing their bags on city sidewalks and urinating and defecating in the parks. She also called for the city to provide mobile showers and storage units for people’s effects and to crack down on camping in the city’s parks....

Nonetheless, the new laws prompted strong opposition in Berkeley, where housing activists camped out in front of City Hall the night before the council meeting. The city has long presented itself as a refuge for drifters and social misfits. Many longtime residents cling to that image at a time when housing prices are rising and a trendy arts district is blossoming downtown.