Urban planner Tim Dempsey spends his days in an East Lansing City Hall office creating a vision for the world around him.

Ironically, he doesn't have any windows to see his ideas take shape.

But the maps that plaster his walls are a two-dimensional reminder of the future he is helping to frame for this college town.

Dempsey was brought to East Lansing at a time when the city is preparing to tackle several major redevelopment projects including a 35-acre East Village revamp - which will significantly alter the scope of the area.

Within a few months of joining East Lansing's planning staff, Dempsey has used a gamut of experience from a former planning position in Saginaw.

However, the 34-year-old is modest about his youth-like energy. Colleagues say it's one of his most influential qualities.

"We have a minivan and I have two kids - I am anything but cool," said Dempsey, East Lansing's community and economic development administrator.

Dempsey discovered his knack for urban planning in a class at State University of New York College at Geneseo and decided to major in geography. He received a master's degree in the same field at Miami University of Ohio, eventually landing a job as Saginaw's Downtown Development Authority director.

He said his young career is driven by the goal of creating vibrant and diverse communities.

"A lot of his success had to do with his energy and his open-mindedness," said Leslie Weaver, a commercial loan officer for the Saginaw Economic Development Corporation. "If he does nothing more than continue that demeanor, he will be a great asset to East Lansing."

In a town occupied mainly by permanent residents, Dempsey helped attract students to Saginaw by planning urban style housing as part of Gov. Jennifer Granholm's Cool Cities Initiative.

Saginaw beat out East Lansing for the Cool Cities grant money this summer, but East Lansing officials hope the city will have a better chance next year with Dempsey on their team.

"Tim has been the leader up there in terms of some of the successes Saginaw has had," said Jim van Ravensway, East Lansing planning and community development director. "He brings to us a wealth of experiences."

It took four months to sort though a large pool of applications to single out Dempsey, van Ravensway said.

After a five-year run in the Bay City area, Dempsey and his wife, an MSU graduate, moved to East Lansing with their two children in July.

"We like being in a community where there's a university, but we also like the fact that this is a great place for families," Dempsey said. "That's a side of the city that a lot of students don't ever see."

Although Dempsey's responsibilities touch on a range of planning aspects, van Ravensway said his skills will be essential working with the emerging East Village redevelopment.

"These are really cutting edge projects in terms of economic development," Dempsey said, adding his favorite project is "always the one that happens."

He said the proposed Cedar Village revamp will enhance the appeal of the city and prevent the area from deteriorating further.

"You either grow and develop or you stagnate," Dempsey said. "Let's not just accept the status quo."

One of East Lansing City Council's main objectives for development projects is to diversify the area and provide more housing opportunities for young professionals and permanent residents.

"Part of what makes downtown East Lansing vibrant is the presence of students, and we recognize that presence is very important," he said.

But some students argue that it will be difficult to achieve an environment where both students and non-students can co-exist.

"I've found that permanent residents are more apprehensive about living next to students," said Andrew Bell, ASMSU Student Assembly external vice chairperson. "It's largely an issue of a few bad apples.

"I don't think students as a whole are a bad demographic."

Dempsey said he understands that students' requirements for living are much different than his college days, and that the city will make every effort to accommodate their requests. But he said he hasn't encountered a project where everyone agreed with a design.

Dempsey said the planning department is interested in students' demands and open to input on the future of the town.

"Sometimes the people that were resistant to change are the ones who ultimately become the biggest supporters," he said. "Hopefully they're pleasantly surprised."