Steve Nygren’s Start In Your Own Backyard shares his journey creating Serenbe, showing how small, common-sense changes can build connected, nature-rich communities anywhere."
The day Steve Nygren realized suburban sprawl was about to swallow the beautiful countryside outside Atlanta, his journey around thoughtful development began.
Until then, he’d been a restaurateur and businessman, not a land planner, not a developer, and certainly not someone who intended to start a town. However, when bulldozers threatened the land his family called home, he began to imagine a different possibility: neighborhoods designed to foster connection and harmony with nature, rather than putting cars and concrete first.
In his book Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where We Live with Radical Common Sense, Nygren shares his 20-year journey as Serenbe’s founder and “accidental developer.” Part memoir and part guidebook, offering both storytelling and a blueprint: a reminder that change begins not with sweeping policies but with small, common sense changes made close to home.
One of Steve’s favorite examples? Planting blueberry bushes. Every summer, children and adults gather to share the joy of picking fresh fruit in Serenbe’s Grange neighborhood. “The joy on the street from something as simple as a blueberry bush and the community gathering around it, snacking and sharing recipes," says Steve, “My goodness, what if everyone considered planting a blueberry bush in their proverbial backyard?”
From blueberries to front porches, walkable hamlets to local food economies, Nygren shows how Serenbe’s principles can be adapted anywhere. He explores the hidden costs of sprawl, the dangers of our disconnection from nature, and the power of intergenerational communities. The solutions, he insists, aren’t costly or complicated. They’re rooted in radical common sense.
Start In Your Own Backyard is a hopeful call to action for anyone who has ever looked around their neighborhood and thought, We could do better. Whether you’re a planner, a parent, or simply someone who cares about where you live, Nygren offers both inspiration and practical guidance for building a more connected, sustainable future.
Order a copy of Start In Your Own Backyard today, available at all your favorite booksellers. (link to stevenygren.com ) Release date, October 7, 2025. Read more about Steve Nygren's book, press coverage and his book tour (link stevenygren.com/events) coming to a city near you at stevenygren.com
Praise:
“This is an extraordinary true-life story of transformation with worldwide implications.”
-Paul Hawken, Author, Carbon
“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
“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
“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
“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