Start In Your Own Backyard
Start In Your Own Backyard is a mini-series about how personal choices, both big and small, can transform the world around us. Host Steve Nygren shares the story of watching his family farm near Atlanta face development and deciding to create Serenbe, a community built on biophilic and sustainable principles. Through stories, expert guests, and personal reflections, the podcast encourages listeners to find agency in their own lives and neighborhoods, whether by rethinking diet, advocating for local change, or building more connected communities. It emphasizes optimism and practical action.
Episodes
BONUS | Steve Nygren & Jim Durrett in Conversation at the Atlanta History Center
In this bonus episode of Start In Your Own Backyard, hear Steve Nygren and Jim Durrett’s 2025 book talk at the Atlanta History Center, where they discuss Steve’s unlikely path from restaurateur to buying a farm to creating Serenbe.Steve shares stories from Serenbe’s early days and reflects on the growing movement toward New Urbanism, agrihoods, and communities designed around nature. He also explo
Matthew Raiford on Bringing Agriculture Into the Heart of Community
When Steve Nygren intentionally built homes right alongside a working organic farm, traditional developers thought he was out of his mind. But over the years the benefits of embedding agriculture within Serenbe have become clear.That’s why Steve was so eager to speak with his guest today, Matthew Raiford. Matthew is a James Beard Award semifinalist, chef, farmer, and sixth-generation steward of Gi
Grant McCargo on Responsible Development & Building for the Future
Grant McCargo, a longtime friend of Serenbe, is an environmentalist and the founder of Urban Villages, a real estate development company creating walkable, culturally rich, nature-connected places designed to stand the test of time.One of the most striking examples of this work is Populus, a hotel in the heart of downtown Denver inspired by the aspen tree and rooted in biophilic design. It is also
Tim Beatley On Bringing Nature Into Cities
When Serenbe was in its early stages, people often tried to put a label on it. Terms like agrihood and eco-community came close, but never quite captured the vision. Then Steve heard urban planner and author Tim Beatley speak about biophilic cities and something clicked. A community shaped by a deep connection to nature and a respect for the living systems around us was exactly what he was trying
Mehmet Kalyoncu Is Rethinking How We Build Cities in Istanbul & Beyond
In this episode of Start In Your Own Backyard, Steve Nygren sits down with Mehmet Kalyoncu, a developer and visionary rethinking how architecture, mobility, community, and nature can shape the future of cities. What began with a visit to Serenbe has grown into an ongoing exchange of ideas between Serenbe and Mehmet’s work in Turkey.Raised in the architecture and construction business, Mehmet was d
Ellen Dunham-Jones Wants To Retrofit Suburbia
When Serenbe was first conceived, Steve Nygren had the opportunity to rethink almost everything from the ground up. But most of the places where people live don’t have that luxury. They’re already built, and in many cases, they’re struggling.That’s where our guest today, Ellen Dunham-Jones, comes in. An architect, urban designer, and longtime professor at Georgia Tech, Ellen has spent more than tw
Price Bell Is Bridging Growth and Stewardship
Price Bell Jr., grew up at Mill Ridge Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, a working thoroughbred farm that his family has cared for for generations.But Price’s story isn’t just about preserving what his family inherited. He spent years working in real estate and urban development, particularly in Nashville, where he learned about the power of neighborhoods, adaptive reuse, and, perhaps most importantly,
Introducing Season 2 of Start In Your Own Backyard
Season 2 of Start In Your Own Backyard premieres Monday, August 17.What if the places we build could help solve the problems they’ve helped create? That question sits at the heart of Season 2 of Start In Your Own Backyard, as visionary placemaker Steve Nygren looks beyond Serenbe to meet people who are rethinking the way we live, work, connect, and care for the places we call home.The built enviro
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 root
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 mo
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 a
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,
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,
Why Beauty Matters
What makes a place feel magnetic? Why do some neighborhoods and buildings leave you feeling inspired, while others feel sterile and disconnected? In this episode of Start In Your Own Backyard, we explore how the built environment shapes our sense of joy, connection, and belonging.You’ll hear from neurologist Dr. Anjan Chatterjee, who explains how our brains respond to beauty and why elements like
A Village at the Forest’s Edge
Access to nature isn’t just a luxury. It's essential for our health, our well-being, and the resilience of our communities. But what happens when the fields, forests, and streams we once knew are paved over by highways, strip malls, and suburban sprawl?In this episode of Start In Your Own Backyard, Steve Nygren explores our deep connection to (and disconnection from) the natural world. From t
The Land That Changed Everything
In the first episode of Start In Your Own Backyard, Steve shares his transformative path to founding Serenbe, a thriving community rooted in nature on the outskirts of Atlanta. He talks about why the built environment lies at the heart of so many modern challenges, the personal healing he discovered in nature, and how each of us can take steps toward positive change starting right where we are.Bec
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