ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explains the closure of military bases follows a set process in the United States. It examines the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) program and the contribution of the dod's office of economic adjustment toward rebuilding local economies using the case studies of the Philadelphia Navy Yard and Brunswick Naval Air Station Maine. The book demonstrates the literature in the United Kingdom and the United States at least, similar challenges can be seen in the way the UK ministry of defence and the US department of defense approach site disposal and redevelopment. Ashley and Touchton outlines some of the challenges faced by communities facing base closure in the US, in light of the variety of planning cultures, market health, population and demographic forces and geographic influences across different parts of the United States.
