The Globe and Mail

Military bases don't have to fade away like old soldiers, to paraphrase General Douglas MacArthur's famous parting retirement shot. Thousands of acres on 1940s and 50s era decommissioned military bases engulfed by inner city expansion are being creatively reincarnated as mixed-use communities and business parks across Canada. While benefits can include the creation of affordable housing and a good return for the federal government on surplus land, these developments often contribute in unusual and creative ways to urban renewal.