This book emerged from the identifi cation of an ongoing problem surrounding defense conversion and a general lack of knowledge on the topic. We also recognized the need for interdisciplinary, mixed-methods collaboration early in our research: the problems we saw were too big; crossed too many boundaries, both literal and metaphoric; and were too complex for either of us to engage on our own. Political science and urban planning both offered incomplete answers to many of our early questions, as

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... did both quantitative and qualitative methods as means to answer the complicated questions and data that arose from former defense communities. Moreover, we saw the need for a book that engaged policy makers and practitioners, not just academics. This recognition led us to a fruitful, mixed-methods collaboration that extends far beyond political science and urban planning. It also took extensive time and resources: we began this project in our second years on the tenure track at Boise State University. We were interested in interdisciplinary collaboration and were fortunate enough to work at institutions that support that kind of research.