Start in Your Own Backyard

Transforming Where We Live with Radical Common Sense

Visionary placemaker Steve Nygren chronicles the rise of Serenbe, a pioneering model of biophilic living outside Atlanta, and charts a path for others wishing to challenge the status quo, embrace optimism, and reinvent their communities…and themselves.
 
For many Americans, life is no longer working. We are increasingly sick, stressed, anxious, and unhappy. Many feel left behind by the economy, disillusioned by once-respected institutions, and helpless in the face of environmental decline. Steve Nygren argues that much of this can be traced to where—and how—we live. By rethinking and reinvesting in our own communities, we can rediscover the joy of connected, meaningful lives for ourselves and future generations.
 
Start in Your Own Backyard provides a blueprint for developing sustainable communities where citizens of all generations can thrive, and awe is found in everyday moments, which requires understanding:

  • The unintended consequences of sprawl, and why clustered development supports more green space, more housing, and lower costs

  • Why being disconnected from nature and each other is at the root of many environmental, societal, and health-related woes

  • Tactics to encourage a local food-based economy (and why that matters)

  • How small yards, front porches, and blueberry bushes at crosswalks lead to strong, supportive neighborhoods

  • The benefits of aging in place, and how to nurture connections between uncaged elders and free-range kids

Whether you’re a placemaker, developer, civic leader, business owner, or parent or grandparent wishing to improve the things that complicate your life, this book is for you. It educates and inspires, demonstrates the impact of local action, and sparks hope that one person can change the world in amazing ways by starting in your own backyard. Why shouldn’t that person be you?

PRAISE

  • “Seldom has a book been so needed and timely as Steve Nygren’s manifesto. Serenbe should serve as a model for new or redeveloped neighborhoods everywhere. And his passionate courage should serve as a personal inspiration for all of us.”

    —Richard Louv, Author, Last Child in the Woods

  • “Start in Your Own Backyard is a powerful reminder that real change begins at home. This book is an important spark. Read it. Share it. Then find a way to take local action. The world needs more thoughtful and optimistic initiative, starting right where we live.”

    —John Zimmer, Cofounder, Lyft

  • “What Steve began in his own backyard has already touched and transformed the lives of hundreds of thousands. This book is a resource for developers, architects, and wellness pioneers who are motivated in advancing the vision of wellness real estate around the world.”

    —Susie Ellis, Chairman and CEO, Global Wellness Institute

  • “Start in Your Own Backyard is a powerful call to action—one rooted in optimism, common sense, and a deep respect for place. Steve Nygren shows how transformative change begins not with a master plan but with the decision to care for what’s right in front of us. This book reflects that same brilliance: a thoughtful embrace of bottom-up action, a bold reimagining of how we live, and a commitment to design that fosters connection and well-being.”

    —Charles Marohn, Founder and President, Strong Towns

  • “This book distills the practical wisdom behind Serenbe’s transformative model—a road map for building healthier, more connected communities, wherever you are.”

    —Hon. Clare A. Martorana, US Federal Chief Information Officer and Senior Vice President and General Manager, WebMD

Praise

“Seldom has a book been so needed and timely as Steve Nygren’s manifesto. Serenbe should serve as a model for new or redeveloped neighborhoods everywhere. And his passionate courage should serve as a personal inspiration for all of us.”

—Richard Louv, Author, Last Child in the Woods

“Seldom has a book been so needed and timely as Steve Nygren’s manifesto. Serenbe should serve as a model for new or redeveloped neighborhoods everywhere. And his passionate courage should serve as a personal inspiration for all of us.”

—Richard Louv, Author, Last Child in the Woods

“Start in Your Own Backyard is a powerful reminder that real change begins at home. This book is an important spark. Read it. Share it. Then find a way to take local action. The world needs more thoughtful and optimistic initiative, starting right where we live.”

—John Zimmer, Cofounder, Lyft

About

Steve Nygren

Steve Nygren is Founder and CEO of Serenbe, the biophilic community leading the wellness real estate and agrihood movements. He is also the author of the forthcoming book, Start In Your Own Backyard, chronicling the rise of Serenbe and charting a path for others wishing to challenge the status quo, embrace optimism, and reinvent their communities…and themselves. Steve started his career in hospitality, having founded the 34-restaurant group, Peasant Restaurants, serving guests from the 1970s until the mid ‘90s.