“Generally, you have to choose one and drive to the other. You have to choose either a rural setting or an area that has all these services with it—you walk to the schools, the hospitality, the shops, the medical services. And so one of the key things is it's all here—you just decide which door you're gonna go out.”
We’re in great company with Steve Nygren, the visionary behind and steward of Serenbe, an award-winning biophilic community on the edge of Atlanta that connects its residents and guests to nature and each other. A place where fresh air, fresh food, and fresh ideas flourish.
Whether you come for a weekend escape at The Inn at Serenbe or envision making it home for a lifetime, this community offers a living model of how we can reconnect with what matters most.
In this Thanksgiving episode, Steve reminds us that if we want to change the world, we can start in our own backyards—sharing how his family's dedication to protecting their land has blossomed into a movement inspiring communities around the globe to live in harmony with nature.
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Top Takeaways
[1:45] Listen as Steve’s story comes full circle, from farm roots through urban hospitality ownership, ultimately back to the land where he planned to raise his family—only to discover it was threatened by urban sprawl and desperately in need of a creative solution.
[4:30] “ The effort was to not convince one side to come over to the other, but rather find a solution where each group could get more, that we could get a higher value for the land than they had ever thought they could, and to preserve more of it than we ever thought possible.”
[11:10] With English countryside villages and European hamlets as his blueprint, Steve built Serenbe on four essential components—art for inspiration, agriculture for nourishment, health and wellness for vitality, and education for growth.
[15:10] Across 2,000 acres of biophilic community design, Serenbe's miles of nature trails weave together homes, restaurants, and arts businesses while immersing visitors in rich sensory experiences around every corner.
[20:30] At The Inn at Serenbe, guests can experience community life firsthand through a selection of rooms and cottages that offer both modern luxury and an authentic connection to the land, complete with farm-to-table dining and access to all of Serenbe's wellness amenities.
[22:30] Guests can dine and drink in good company across Serenbe's spectrum of culinary offerings—from refined seasonal menus to casual bites around the community—with every dish celebrating locally sourced ingredients grown under the nurturing care of neighbors.
[25:25] Serenbe's amenities and activities celebrate both relaxation and exploration, offering everything from rejuvenating yoga classes to horseback riding adventures, and charming community experiences like feeding farm animals and listening to live music.
[28:50] At its core, biophilic design embraces living in harmony with nature as a community to achieve well-being, sustainability, and prosperity, creating spaces where this principle can flourish for individuals, the places we live, and the world around us.
[30:10] Serenbe's future embraces a vision of "free range kids" and elders living in harmony together, applying Blue Zone principles to create a lifestyle that values longevity, community, and the richness of multigenerational living.
Notable Mentions
Last Child In The Woods by Richard Louv
Start In Your Own Backyard by Steve Nygren
