I recently had the good fortune to participate in an “Urban Summit” sponsored by the Brookings Institution and Rockefeller Foundation. The event took place at the Rockefeller’s retreat center in Bellagio, a small town on Lake Como in the Lombardy Region of Italy, near the Swiss border.

The conference was educational and inspiring, but the highlight of the trip for me was the town of Bellagio itself. Known as “the Pearl of Lake Como,” Bellagio is an old resort town that was once the summer residence of Roman patricians and later of Lombardy’s noble families. Artists, poets, writers, and musicians including Pliny the Younger, Longfellow, Twain, Shelley, Stendhal, and Flaubert have been enchanted by the town.

In addition to the wonder of traveling in Europe, I always find it a reaffirmation of our vision for neighborhoods like I’On, Morris Square, and Mixson. What could be a more clear example of sustainable design than a town that is still going strong after almost 2,000 years. Neighborhoods built by the I’On Group have several principles in common with a town like Bellagio. These principles include walk-able streets, a mix of land uses, and timeless architectural design.

I found the old “Borgo” section of Bellagio particularly appealing. This area is about 17 acres (the size of East Lake and West Lake in I’On). Within this 17 acres are 220 homes with a population of approximately 600 people. There is also more than 200,000 square feet of commercial space including:
-220 homes with a population of about 600.
-7 hotels with 222 rooms ranging in size from 10-52 rooms.
-18 places to eat.
-2 wine shops
-4 small grocery stores.
-25 clothing and accessory stores.
-5 jewelry stores.
-6 souvenir shops.
-2 book stores.
-4 art galleries.
-2 antique stores.
-1 Pharmacy, a Dentist office, and Optometrist office.
Mixed in with these homes and businesses are numerous civic uses including two churches, a library, Town Hall, police station, post office, Tourist Info Office, school, and public transit stations in the form of a ferry landing depot and bus terminal.

Most people would express shock and dismay at a density of 13 units per acre AND so much commercial and civic use. My feeling is that it was because of the density that the town was so charming and worked so well. The human scale public realm complemented the private land uses exquisitely. Cobbled streets in their twisting organic layout add to the easy going nature of the place. Bellagio is certainly one of the most beautiful towns I have ever seen.

The I’On Group seeks to convey a similar feeling of awe and wonder in the neighborhoods we build. Indeed, as the first phase of Morris Square approaches completion, one can start to realize the strong sense of place. With the recent ground breaking at Mixson in North Charleston, we aspire to advance these time tested design principles still further.

View my presentation of Bellagio here Bellagio Presentation

Filed under: I'On Group, I'On Village, Mixson, Morris Square, Videos & Photos on August 31st, 2007