Carella, Paul Zykovsky forwarded your comment to me about the tendency in the Mercer County area for elected officials to worry more about new development than nourish existing. As a long time resident of NJ, and the former manager of NJDOT's Transportation and Land Use Program, I won't argue.

Because land use in NJ is controlled at the municipal level, none of the following can single handedly fix the situation. However, they can help.

The Municipal Land Use Center at the College of NJ: try Donna Drewes and/or Bill Beetle. http://www.tcnj.edu/~mluc/staff.html

PlanSmart NJ: Try Diane Brake http://www.plansmartnj.org/?page_id=147

Finally, one local elected official who DOES get it is Mayor Tsing Fu Shueh of West Windsor. Try getting an audience with him for advice.

You said you tried NJDOT... I presume that was Jim Lewis and Andy Swords. If not, reach out to them.

Sylvia, first of all my congratulations for your "smart book". Human factor and government settlement policies are the two most imortant reasons decidingthe level of services, educational, economic, eployment, leisure, health, transportation infrastructures. That is the situation in my country - Israel.

I wonder if you are going to attend the CNU 20? I'll be there and would like to meet you. My e-mail: zwiw@moch.gov.il

I spent the last 8 years researching the cause of differences in levels of quality of life in cities in order to find an underlying factor which could be applied to other cities in order to improve their quality of life. I found that the difference between cities that succeed and those that do not lies in the percentage of a specific type of individual who lives in that city. These individuals differ from others because of the way that they think. I found that not only is it possible to encourage these types of individuals to locate to your city, but, by providing the right infrastructure it is also possible to encourage a psychological development within the population to generate these vital societal members. Should you be interested, my book is entitled : Inclusivism - The World on the Brink of a Social Revolution and is available through Amazon or through my publisher Trafford.

The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, in Cambridge, MA, has an extensive set of reports on Smart Growth. These reports are mostly done by planners analyzing Smart Growth initiatives. They are rigorously done and sometimes say things that other planners don't want to hear. Many of the working papers are free. It is worth checking out.

Thanks for the useful tools. The one visual is very close to before and after that I'd like to see. Show's how it is absolutely doable.

Check the following site on the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) website
http://www.sandag.org/index.asp?projectid=335&fuseaction=projects.detail

These 2-D Visual Simulations show existing conditions and potential changes based on smart growth principles. Simulations have been developed by Urban Advantage, Inc. for various areas on the SANDAG Smart Growth Concept Map. Visualizations are posted in PowerPoint format. Please save the files to your computer to view the speaking points for each presentation.

Here are a couple of documents that you may find useful --

• Developing Effective Citizen Engagement:
http://www.smartgrowthpa.org/files/effective_citizen_engagement.pdf

• Sustaining Public Engagement
http://www.smartgrowthpa.org/files/sustaining%2Bpublic%2Bengagement_final%20(2).pdf

Also see -- www.smartgrowthpa.org and http://www.route30plan.com/ for additional resources.

Thanks to all for comments. I've done a lot of research as I have said and I have gotten to the point where it would be great to have a visual for redevelopment to help convince the powers to be. If anyone knows anyone who might be willing to help that would be great. Or suggestions. I have a whole layout on problems and solutions that apply to our area so the concepts are there.

Carella- I'm very familiar with your area; my wife is a Chambersburg Native of Trenton( the State Capitol from 9-5 and then they roll up the sidewalks) and she has relatives still living in the Township. With all the infrastructure already in place , lack of State Funding for anything and property tax cap it it would seem that an everything old is new again approach might appeal to local electeds as to adaptive reuse /reinvestment and a more realistic Smart growth plan. Urban flight and blight is what got Trenton and immediate burbs to where they are today much like Reading Pa. and if Mercer County and NJ State take on the social and societal dislocation and the Township in partner ship with them could facilitate infrastructure reuse and incentives to promote business retention and some new private sector investment and job creation based on proximity to evrywhere which Trenton SMSA still has going for it , the Delaware Bridge logo might again ring true for the whole area. Just my take on things .

Community members may get together to discuss issues relating to their communities as I have done with my group of businesses and residents. However, when those issues are brought to the fore front of our local Township leaders it is then that an alliance between the two should be formed. Too many times I have witnessed our leaders lending an ear but not a hand to help. We want action not appeasement.