routes.js

// Works but is pretty verbose

App.Router.map(function() {
  this.route("users.index", { path: "/users" });
  this.route("users.new", { path: "/users/new" });
  this.route("user.index", { path: "/users/:user_nickname" });
  this.route("user.edit", { path: "/users/:user_nickname/edit" });
});

// Seems to be the best way to use the DSL but the `:user_nickname` param is incorrectly replaced

App.Router.map(function() {
  this.resource("users", { path: "/users" }, function() {
    this.route("new");
  });

  this.resource("user", { path: "/users/:user_nickname" }, function() {
    this.route("edit");
  });
});

// user_index_route.js for reference

App.UserIndexRoute = Ember.Route.extend(
  model: function(params) {
    App.User.find(params.user_nickname)  
  },
  serialize: function(model) {
    { user_nickname: model.get('nickname') }
  }
)