Catalyst To Create Serenbe

Monica Olsen and Steve Nygren go into detail about the pivotal moment in Steve and Serenbe’s beginning. Steve and his daughter, Garnie, came upon a bulldozer taking out trees while they were running trails on their 300 acres. Steve worried about urban sprawl in their paradise and immediately made calls to land owners in Chattahoochee Hills, asking them to call if they ever decided to sell. The three largest parcels that touched the Nygren farmhouse had to sell for different reasons, and in 5 weeks, Steve had another 600 acres under contract. Steve realized he wasn’t thinking large enough; that he’d have to affect legislation. He then brought 500 Chattahoochee Hill Country landowners together to change the zoning, thus changing how this area would be developed.Questions AnsweredWhat is the pivotal moment that changed Steve Nygren’s trajectory?How many acres did Steve have before he saw the bulldozer?Why did seeing a bulldozer make make you think of a housing development and urban sprawl?How did opening a restaurant in Roswell influence your decision to buy additional land?When you were purchasing land in Chattahoochee Hills, did you know what you were going to do with it the whole time?Are people’s preconceived notions about how to development part of the problem?Why do you think people weren’t developing in an environmentally-friendly way (like Serenbe)?What are some of the global policies developers weren’t thinking about?People + Organizations MentionedPeachtree Road RacePrairie CrossingPresident Dwight D. EisenhowerRobert DavisSeasideTIME MagazineUrban Land InstituteVictoria RanneyThe White House Council on the EnvironmentAmory LovinsCenters for Disease Control & PreventionEnvironmental Protection DivisionGarnie NygrenGeorge Ranney, Jr.Georgia Institute of TechnologyJim DurrettMain Street AmericaO’Hare International AirportPaul HawkenThe new book, Start In Your Own Backyard, is out and available for ordering.  Step off the treadmill of life and book a stay at the Inn at Serenbe. Use code Serenbe Stories when you book online or over the phone and receive 10% off your stay!Learn more about Serenbe and see our Events Calendar. Order your copy of Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where You Live with Radical Common Sense by Serenbe founder Steve Nygren.