Anton Tony Nelessen has more than 37 years of professional experience as an urban designer, professor, author and practitioner in the fields of visioning, physical planning and urban design. His firm is considered one of the foremost vision planning firms in the country. He holds a professional degree in architecture from the University of Minnesota and graduated from the Harvard Graduate School of Design with distinction. He has taught at Harvard, University of California-Davis and Image Works School of Photography. He is an Associate Professor at Rutgers University Graduate Department of Urban Planning and Policy Development. He has guest lectured at colleges and universities across the United States, and at numerous planning, Smart Growth, New Urbanism, environmental and transportation conferences. His work in urban design and transportation qualified him to testify before the US Congress on behalf of TEA-21. He is charter member of the Congress for the New Urbanism.

Tony is principal of A. Nelessen Associates, Inc. located in Belle Mead, New Jersey. His award-wining firm serves a diverse group of clients nationally and internationally. He is the inventor of and holds the US trademark to the Visual Preference Survey, which is used for public participation for redevelopment and the adoption of new zoning codes. He pioneered the use of image simulation for physical and transportation planning and urban design. His public participation and vision techniques are used to develop a consensus for future physical and environmental actions; to develop conceptual three-dimensional plans; for market research; master plans and the production of zoning codes. As a professional planner, urban designer, community participation facilitator, university professor and author, Tony combines extensive professional experience with academic research and insight.

Tony has professional experience in the United States, Canada and abroad. He is unique in that he has worked on a wide range of projects from single buildings, central city redevelopment, and county plans, new towns, to a plan for the Netherlands 2050. He has worked on development plans for cities like Cambridge, MA, Midtown Atlanta, GA, Downtown Milwaukee, City of Orlando, the waterfront in Rotterdam, Holland and a new town center in Durbin, South Africa. His firm designed the plan and produced the first New Urbanism code for the New Washington Town Center. His firm has completed numerous Smart Growth Vision Plans including Hartford Regional Plan, Worcester County Maryland; Billings, Montana; and Routes 130 and 206 in Burlington County, New Jersey. He has recently finished work on Redevelopment plans in Newark, Jersey City and Collingswood, NJ, the second redevelopment plan for Midtown Atlanta, and a new town center for Eastampton, NJ, which just won the prestigious NJ Futures Award of Excellence. The firm is currently finishing work on several projects including the redevelopment plans for 3 redevelopment areas in Orange Township, NJ, Morristown, NJ, and Newark, NJ. Tony is actively involved with numerous architectural firms in the State including Dean Marchetto in Hoboken and KSS architects in Princeton. He is also active with Princeton Future, an advocacy group involved with planning for Downtown Princeton.

Mr. Nelessen has written a book, published by the American Planning Association, entitled Visions for a New American Dream and has authored hundreds of research reports and articles, multimedia and video presentations. His work was featured in Newsweek and numerous local and national newspapers and journals. In addition he has produced and directed over three hundred multi-media presentations for business organizations and theatre. Tony is married for 33 years and has three children.