Jim Diers' charm is infectious. He was at times giddy last week at the Ballard Chamber of Commerce meeting during his PowerPoint lecture highlighting success stories based on the Neighborhood Matching Fund Program he devised while serving under former Mayor Norm Rice.

Diers, author of the book, "Neighbor Power: Building Seattle the Community Way," was the director of the City of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods at the time, but was fired by Mayor Greg Nickels.

He told the chamber he couldn't be happier as he consults challenged communities on how to turn things around and thrive.

Many dicey neighborhoods have improved, and prospered, many believe thanks to Diers' program, including his own, Columbia City, as well as those found in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, and Kobe, Japan, where he helped establish community gardens and farmer's markets. Even high-rise-weary Beijing flies Diers in to share his vision on preserving neighborhood charm amid their growth.

He said that while Seattle is a model city to much of the world, he views Ballard as a model community within the Emerald City.

"This is where I do my Christmas shopping for items found nowhere else in Seattle," he said, pointing to Ballard's civic pride with its modern library, vintage Majestic Bay Theatres, Groundswell Northwest, Food Bank, and Sustainable Ballard.

Diers warned, however, "Communities have been victims of their own success. Fremont's artists transformed their business district, and now they can't afford to live there."

He then jumped west one community to Ballard, and to its explosion of new developments and their negative consequences like the inflated cost of housing. He mentioned the erosion of charming institutions such as Denny's Restaurant, formerly Manning's Cafeteria, and the soon-to-be-demolished Sunset Bowl.

Some Chamber attendees gasped when Diers projected a photograph of an enormous Wal-Mart in Beijing that towered over a tiny strand of ma and pa shops that are slated to disappear.

"You see huge monolithic shops replacing small business districts as Beijing loses its character." The next photograph of Beijing pictured a dreary, monotone high-rise occupying several city blocks.

"These huge housing developments are expensive and push people out of town. Some are forced to live as squatters at the edge of the city."

As for Ballard's unsettling progress he advised, "Engage the local community to shape what is important to you. You need to think about how you can make change work for the people."

At that point Beth Williamson Miller, Ballard Chamber executive director, had the last word.

"Maybe the bowling alley could be moved into Denny's," she said sarcastically.

Steve Shay may be reached at steves@robinsonnews.com