TICONDEROGA -- A walled city in Italy and Ticonderoga's beleaguered downtown don't seem to have much in common, but it's possible one could refresh the other.

A charge of new energy is what the Ticonderoga business district needs most, said Robert Pell-deChame of the Ticonderoga Main Street Project.

New urbanism

Newly returned from a planning conference in the ancient walled city of Pienza, Italy, he spent his time there discussing New Urbanism planning and Ticonderoga's needs.

"These people are all at the top of their game. They're New Urbanists. That's the philosophy from which they all emerge."

New Urbanism is traditional neighborhood design. The movement began in the early 1980s. Its goal is to reform all aspects of real-estate development and urban planning, from urban retrofits to suburban in-fill. New Urbanist neighborhoods are designed to contain a diverse range of housing and jobs and to be "walkable."

"I was an invited speaker on the subject of stewardship of historic properties and their inter-relationship with local economies, before a think-tank of leading New Urbanist architects, planners and developers," Pell-deChame said.

He's part of the Pell family that began restoring and rebuilding Fort Ticonderoga in 1909. The think-tank is the Seaside Pienza Institute.

Pell-deChame said the conference included consultations with the Marchesa Frescobaldi and Lady Caroline Percy, the sister of the Duke of Northumberland, about their historic properties, as well as Hank Ditmarr, the director of the Prince of Wales' building/development foundation, all members of the institute.

revitalizing downtown

Some of the people he met with are coming to Ticonderoga in the near future to take a look around, Pell-deChame said.

"They're interested in helping us here. I believe that many of the contacts I made there will result in significant impact for the future of Ticonderoga, not to mention raising consciousness of Ti to new levels with an international group."

Ticonderoga Town Supervisor Robert C. Dedrick said he supports goals Pell-deChame and the Main Street Project have expressed.

"He (Pell-deChame) has some great ideas. If we can translate some of this into what we're doing, we can succeed."

One local group is doing its best to rehabilitate Ticonderoga's downtown: the preservation company PRIDE of Ticonderoga.