I have a small area in front of my house (an attached townhouse) where I want to plant a small fruit tree to replace a Japanese maple that died. The space receives a ton of sun, but the space is only about 8' by 8' (roughly).

In my backyard I have a Brown Turkey Fig that has never born edible fruit, over 5 years, I suspect because it doesn't get enough sun. It is a beautiful tree, though, and has survived harsh freezes and piled-up snow, so I'd like to try one in the front of my house. I found information about planting a fig near a house here -- http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/fig/msg0409335828314.html -- which mentions using a spade to keep the roots from spreading.

My question, though: can I prune a fig tree down to small (bush) size so it will grow in that space without outgrowing the space?