Start In Your Own Backyard

The Spark of Possibility

In this final episode of the Start In Your Own Backyard mini-series, Steve Nygren reflects on the journey of building Serenbe. What started out as an unlikely idea, sparked in a moment of fear and panic is now a living, breathing community where nature and people are woven back together. You’ll hear from neighbors like Gil Mathis, who traded a corporate finance career for a more authentic life rooted in connection, and Gigi Wilborne, an artist and entrepreneur who has poured her creativity into nearly every corner of Serenbe. You’ll also meet Price Bell, whose visits to Serenbe inspired him to spark change in his own hometown. Together, their stories remind us that change doesn’t always start with grand plans. Instead, it begins in backyards, on front porches, and in everyday choices that ripple outward to transform lives. As we close this series, we return to the bigger lesson running beneath it all: you don’t need to wait for permission to imagine a better way of living. Wherever you are, the spark of possibility is already in your hands. Sometimes all it takes is the courage to begin. Show Notes * Pre-Order Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where You Live with Radical Common Sense [https://stevenygren.com/] by Steve Nygren * Start In Your Own Backyard Substack [https://stevenygren.substack.com/] * Learn more about Serenbe [https://www.serenbe.com/] * Serenbe Stories Podcast [https://www.serenbe.com/serenbe-stories] Keywords: Serenbe, community building, placemaking, biophilic design, sustainable living, connection to nature, intentional communities, local food, community gardens, shared meals, walkability, small sparks of change, starting in your own backyard, radical common sense, meaningful change, authentic living, neighborhood design, creativity, wellness, joy, beauty, possibility, better way of living Now through October 12, order a copy of Start In Your Own Backyard and you'll receive a tote bag, keychain and signed bookplate from Steve Nygren. Get a Start In Your Own Backyard Book Bundle Today Pre-Order from your favorite bookseller, send in your receipt [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe53QWnf3RgPDhYk2qtkujqL0t2ill_86IrfKkkkPCC0GeHkQ/viewform?usp=header] and we'll mail you a book bundle as our gift.

A Place That Feels Like Home

A lot of what we’ve been exploring on this podcast comes back to an idea known as placemaking: the art of designing spaces that feel meaningful, welcoming, and rooted in community. At its core, it’s about creating places where people truly want to gather and belong. At Serenbe, that spirit comes alive every day. Visitors might arrive for goat yoga or a stroll through the nature trails and end up moving. A coffee-and-ceramics studio, dreamed up and run by neighbors, has become a beloved local hangout. And community traditions like Porchfest transform front porches into concert stages and art galleries, turning ordinary moments into something magical. These experiences are joyful on the surface, but they also weave the deeper social and cultural fabric that makes a community thrive. In this episode, Steve Nygren explores how visitors bring fresh energy and perspective, how local businesses reflect and shape a community’s values, and why even the simplest neighborhood gatherings can spark lasting connections.  Whether you’re dreaming of creating something new in your own town or simply curious about how thriving communities take shape, this episode offers inspiration and practical ideas for inviting people in and building places that feel like home. Show Notes * Pre-Order Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where You Live with Radical Common Sense [https://stevenygren.com/] by Steve Nygren * Start In Your Own Backyard Substack [https://stevenygren.substack.com/] * Learn more about Serenbe [https://www.serenbe.com/] * Serenbe Stories Podcast [https://www.serenbe.com/serenbe-stories] * Minro Studio [https://minrostudio.com/] * Porchfest at Serenbe [https://www.instagram.com/porchfestatserenbe/] * Serenbe Real Estate [https://www.serenberealestate.com/] Keywords: placemaking, community, hospitality, belonging, Serenbe, Steve Nygren, intentional living, visitors, local businesses, Porchfest, goat yoga, nature trails, meaningful design, walkable communities, neighborhood traditions, connection, joy, events, potlucks, concerts, bake sales, sustainability, thriving communities, home, invitation, culture Now through October 12, order a copy of Start In Your Own Backyard and you'll receive a tote bag, keychain and signed bookplate from Steve Nygren. Get a Start In Your Own Backyard Book Bundle Today Pre-Order from your favorite bookseller, send in your receipt [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe53QWnf3RgPDhYk2qtkujqL0t2ill_86IrfKkkkPCC0GeHkQ/viewform?usp=header] and we'll mail you a book bundle as our gift.

The Deepest Wells of the Human Spirit

Food, shelter, walkable streets, even access to nature are all vital ingredients for a thriving community. But on their own, they aren’t quite enough. To truly flourish, people also need beauty, inspiration, and creativity woven into daily life. That’s where the arts come in. In this episode of Start In Your Own Backyard, Steve Nygren explores why music, theater, sculpture, literature, and public art are so vitally important. You’ll hear insights from Dr. Anjan Chatterjee, director of the Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics, on how our brains respond to beauty, as well as stories from artists themselves who have seen firsthand how art can knit people together and shape a place’s identity. We’ll also share how Serenbe pioneered a permanent funding model for the arts by dedicating 1% of real estate sales to its nonprofit Art Farm, ensuring that creativity remains central to community life for generations to come. Whether it’s a sculpture tucked along a forest trail, neighbors gathering for a midsummer play in the woods, or children inspired by visiting artists, this episode reveals how the arts sustain not just culture, but the human spirit itself. Show Notes * Pre-Order Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where You Live with Radical Common Sense [https://stevenygren.com/] by Steve Nygren * Start In Your Own Backyard Substack [https://stevenygren.substack.com/] * Learn more about Serenbe [https://www.serenbe.com/] * Serenbe Stories Podcast [https://www.serenbe.com/serenbe-stories] * The Art Farm at Serenbe [https://www.artfarmatserenbe.org/] * The Aesthetic Brain: How We Evolved to Desire Beauty and Enjoy Art [https://bookshop.org/p/books/antipodean-america-australasia-and-the-constitution-of-u-s-literature-anjan-chatterjee-md/11828240?ean=9780199811809&next=t] by Dr. Anjan Chatterjee * SERENBE COMMUNITY CELEBRATES CURTIS PATTERSON’S STRIKING NEW SCULPTURE [https://www.artsatl.org/serenbe-community-celebrates-curtis-pattersons-striking-new-sculpture/] BY GAIL O’NEILL (ARTSATL) * Naturally Fragile & Durable with Rachel Garceau [https://www.serenbe.com/stories/naturally-fragile-durable-with-rachel-garceau] (Serenbe Stories) * Morgan Boszilkov Studio [https://morganbstudio.com/] Keywords: art in community, arts funding, Serenbe, Start In Your Own Backyard podcast, Steve Nygren, Art Farm, public art, creativity, culture, biophilic community, artist residencies, sculptures, theater in nature, concerts by the pond, transfer fee model, community building, creative placemaking, arts and wellbeing, art and neuroscience, Curtis Patterson, community design, sustainable community, supporting artists Now through October 12, order a copy of Start In Your Own Backyard and you'll receive a tote bag, keychain and signed bookplate from Steve Nygren. Get a Start In Your Own Backyard Book Bundle Today Pre-Order from your favorite bookseller, send in your receipt [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe53QWnf3RgPDhYk2qtkujqL0t2ill_86IrfKkkkPCC0GeHkQ/viewform?usp=header] and we'll mail you a book bundle as our gift.

Community Potluck

Once upon a time, community wasn’t something you had to schedule, swipe for, or search out in a Facebook group. It was simply part of daily life. In this episode, Steve Nygren explores the loneliness epidemic, how our modern world has stripped away built-in community, and what it will take to bring it back. He dives into how thoughtful design choices like walkable streets, welcoming front porches, and all-important “third places” can help weave back some of the social fabric we’ve lost. And this sense of connection isn’t just for adults. Kids and elders, the bookends of every community, are often the most isolated today. Giving children the freedom to roam and ensuring older adults remain woven into daily life isn’t nostalgic, it's essential for building healthy, resilient, and connected communities. You’ll also hear from designer and conversation expert Fred Dust, city planner and walkability expert Jeff Speck, and Serenbe’s own Garnie Nygren and Dr. Phil Tabb, as together we explore how small design choices, intergenerational living, and even casual encounters with neighbors can transform our health and happiness. This episode is an invitation to imagine a world of free-range kids, uncaged elders, and communities where connection is built into the everyday. Show Notes * Pre-Order Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where You Live with Radical Common Sense [https://stevenygren.com/] by Steve Nygren * Start In Your Own Backyard Substack [https://stevenygren.substack.com/] * Learn more about Serenbe [https://www.serenbe.com/] * Serenbe Stories Podcast [https://www.serenbe.com/serenbe-stories] * Wellness Begins With Community: 5 Ways That Serenbe Builds For Human Connection [https://stevenygren.substack.com/p/wellness-begins-with-community]by Steve Nygren (Substack) * Serenbe Urbanism: A biophilic theory and practice of sustainable placemaking [https://bookshop.org/p/books/serene-urbanism-a-biophilic-theory-and-practice-of-sustainable-placemaking-phillip-james-tabb/4110a4540dd4c7d1?ean=9781472461377&next=t&next=t] by Phillip James Tabb * Making Conversation: Seven Essential Elements for Meaningful Communication [https://bookshop.org/p/books/making-conversation-seven-essential-elements-of-meaningful-communication-fred-dust/0cd612bf1ef296eb?ean=9780062933904&next=t&next=t] by Fred Dust * Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time [https://bookshop.org/p/books/walkable-city-how-downtown-can-save-america-one-step-at-a-time-tenth-anniversary-edition-jeff-speck/6e80ba361d8215cf?ean=9781250857989&next=t] by Jeff Speck Keywords: community, community building, walkable cities, walkability, walkable, connection, loneliness epidemic, conversation, Fred Dust, Jeff Speck, Phill Tabb, Steve Nygren, Serenbe, biophilic design, biophilic cities, third places, urban planning, urban design Now through October 12, order a copy of Start In Your Own Backyard and you'll receive a tote bag, keychain and signed bookplate from Steve Nygren. Get a Start In Your Own Backyard Book Bundle Today Pre-Order from your favorite bookseller, send in your receipt [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe53QWnf3RgPDhYk2qtkujqL0t2ill_86IrfKkkkPCC0GeHkQ/viewform?usp=header] and we'll mail you a book bundle as our gift.

Where Wellness Grows

Most of us know that a sedentary, stress-filled lifestyle can take a heavy toll on our wellbeing. Yet when communities are designed for cars instead of people, when fast food is easier to find than fresh produce, and when green space feels totally out of reach, it becomes increasingly apparent that healthy choices are about so much more than willpower. In this episode of Start In Your Own Backyard, Steve Nygren explores why true wellness has little to do with fitness trackers, supplements, or trendy diets and everything to do with the environments we live in. From walkable streets and nourishing food to sacred geometry and a deeper connection with nature, the design of our communities profoundly shapes our health and happiness. You’ll hear from thought leaders like Dr. Phill Tabb on building in harmony with nature, Maria Rodale on the importance of cooking and eating real food, and Professor Alfred Vick on the power of edible landscapes. Along the way, we look at how Serenbe’s organic farm, trail system, and intentional design offer a model where wellness is woven into daily life. If you’ve ever wondered why the wellness industry leaves us chasing solutions that rarely last, or how our communities themselves can be reimagined to support better health, this episode offers a new perspective on what it means to truly thrive. Show Notes * Pre-Order Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where You Live with Radical Common Sense [https://stevenygren.com/] by Steve Nygren * Start In Your Own Backyard Substack [https://stevenygren.substack.com/] * Learn more about Serenbe [https://www.serenbe.com/] * Serenbe Stories Podcast [https://www.serenbe.com/serenbe-stories] * Serenbe Urbanism: A biophilic theory and practice of sustainable placemaking [https://bookshop.org/p/books/serene-urbanism-a-biophilic-theory-and-practice-of-sustainable-placemaking-phillip-james-tabb/4110a4540dd4c7d1?ean=9781472461377&next=t&next=t] by Phillip James Tabb * About Keith Critchlow [https://www.keithcritchlowlegacy.org/] * Love, Nature, Magic: Shamanic Journeys into the Heart of My Garden [https://bookshop.org/p/books/love-nature-magic-shamanic-journeys-into-the-heart-of-my-garden-maria-rodale/31e5616ef2d49c2a?ean=9781645021681&next=t&next=t] by Maria Rodale * Aflie Vick Eats Plants (And Talks Environmental Ethics) [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/alfie-vick-eats-plants-and-talks-environmental-ethics/id1478453001?i=1000467213178] on the Serenbe Stories Podcast Keywords: wellness, community design, Serenbe, biophilic design, walkability, local food, edible landscapes, sacred geometry, health and environment, sustainable living, intentional community, nature connection, regenerative design, public health, placemaking, real food, holistic wellbeing, everyday wellness, trails and green space, healthy communities, Phillip Tabb, Maria Rodale, Alfie Vick, Steve Nygren Now through October 12, order a copy of Start In Your Own Backyard and you'll receive a tote bag, keychain and signed bookplate from Steve Nygren. Get a Start In Your Own Backyard Book Bundle Today Pre-Order from your favorite bookseller, send in your receipt [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe53QWnf3RgPDhYk2qtkujqL0t2ill_86IrfKkkkPCC0GeHkQ/viewform?usp=header] and we'll mail you a book bundle as our gift.