Modern life often leaves us on the treadmill of constant striving, chasing markers of success that don’t necessarily bring fulfillment. But what happens when you step off that treadmill and reimagine what’s possible?

Our guest this week, Steve Nygren, did exactly that. As the founder and visionary behind Serenbe, a biophilic community just outside Atlanta, Steve has spent decades exploring how the places we live can better support our health, happiness, and connection to nature. Now, he’s sharing that journey in his new book, Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where You Live with Radical Common Sense. Part memoir, part guidebook, it offers a blueprint for building sustainable, connected communities, places where wonder exists in the everyday and people of all ages can truly thrive. It’s out on October 7th, 2025, just one week from today.

In this conversation, we cover a lot of ground: Steve’s early path as a placemaker, the turning point that inspired Serenbe, what it really means to take care of your own “backyard,” and how each of us can make change in the spaces we influence. It’s an inspiring reminder that meaningful transformation often begins very close to home.

Show Notes

• Order your copy of Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where You Live with Radical Common Sense by Steve Nygren
• Listen to the Start In Your Own Backyard Podcast
• Steve Nygren on Substack
• Steve Nygren on Instagram and LinkedIn
• Learn more about Serenbe 

Keywords: biophilia, radical common sense, sustainable living, placemaking, community design, intentional living, Serenbe, Steve Nygren, nature connection, regenerative communities, backyard solutions, sustainable communities, holistic design, living with nature, environmental design, human-nature connection, mindful development, local change, ecological living, design for well-being

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