After meeting with Marcus, the neighborhood improvement group president, both Tony, and Diana, as representatives of the two sides of the playground/parking lot conflict, agreed to meet with Ava, a mediator from the dispute resolution center. Ava explained the mediation process to them.

Tony was not eager to mediate and said, "This situation has brought the older people in the neighborhood together, and has made us realize that this neighborhood could do better for us. If we don't see it through, people will be disappointed."

Diana replied, "I agree that there are more problems to deal with than just parking, Tony. But if none of us can talk to one another, we can't deal with THIS problem, let alone others. This neighborhood isn't enjoyable to live in right now."

Tony thought for a moment and said, "You might be right. If we can find a way to work together and deal with seniors' issues, we should try."

Tony's discussion of seniors' unmet needs shows that he sees the conflict as __________.