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How to Design a Biophilic Community

How to Design a Biophilic Community

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 Nestled in the Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia, is Serenbe, the biophilic community leading the wellness real estate and agrihood movements. It is a neighbourhood focused on wellbeing, full of fresh food and fresh air. This community is set among acres of preserved forests and meadows with miles of nature trails that connect homes and restaurants with arts and businesses.Importantly it is a real-world example of Biophilic Design in a community development that can help us reimagine urban and town planning. We speak with Steve Nygren, Founder and CEO who shares with us his love of biophilia and how this is woven through Serenbe, a beautiful and practical reimagining of how we can live in harmony with nature. More than just a development, Serenbe is a living, breathing testament to Biophilic Design and the profound connection between human well-being and the natural world.When Steve purchased a farm near Atlanta with his family, they discovered that this close connection to nature fundamentally changed their lives. "I saw how we all responded when we connected back to nature," he reflects. With 1,200 residents, Serenbe demonstrates that sustainable, nature-integrated communities aren't just possible—they're desirable, and this goes beyond architecture, it's about creating living systems that nurture human potential.Serenbe continues to evolve, with plans for an expanded educational campus. Plus, and watch out for updates in the press, an aging-in-place community promoting intergenerational living.Steve bridges scientific understanding with emotional experience. While research increasingly validates biophilic design's benefits, he emphasises that the heart understands what science is only beginning to measure. "We are innately connected to nature," he says, and highlights how our intuitive feelings are confirmed by rigorous scientific research.Start in your own backyard.Steve's upcoming book, "Start in Your Own Backyard," extends this philosophy, encouraging individuals to create change in their immediate environments.For those wanting to apply Serenbe's principles globally, Steve offers simple advice. Start where you have influence. Whether it's redesigning a neighbourhood, creating community gardens, or advocating for nature-integrated urban planning, every action matters. His book is out in October. https://stevenygren.com As Paul Hawken (author of Carbon) said of the book: “This is an extraordinary true-life story of transformation with worldwide implications.”And designing communities with Biophilic Design on a global scale… Intentional design with carefully planned communities can transform neighbourhoods, communities, cities and dare I say it, even countries. If you are a designer, planner, real estate owner, influencer of any of these, by following the Serenbe pattern some of the things you will be looking at incorporating will be integrating nature within 450 feet of every home, create walkable, interconnected spaces, promote multi-generational living and support local agriculture and food systems.All of this will create Holistic Well-being. The Serenbe Biophilic community proves that design can naturally improve health. Residents report losing weight, feeling more connected, and experiencing enhanced mental well-being—simply by living in a nature-integrated environment.Plus, there’s the Community Connection. The simple design elements like communal mailboxes create spontaneous social interactions, demonstrating how physical spaces can foster human connections.When asked to paint the world with a biophilic brush, Steve envisions a landscape that embraces nature—not separate from civilisation but woven into human experience.Serenbe isn't just a community, it's a living blueprint for how humans can reimagine their relationship with the natural world. It proves that when we design with nature, we design for human flourishing.Steve will be speaking at our Biophilic Design Conference 17 November 2025 Westminster London www.biophilicdesignconference.com please come!https://www.serenbe.comTo find our more and pre-order the book visit https://stevenygren.comIf you like this, please subscribe!Have you got a copy of the Journal? You can now subscribe as a member of the Journal of Biophilic Design or purchase a gorgeous coffee table reference copy or PDF download of the Journal journalofbiophilicdesign.comor Amazon and Kindle. Biophilic Design Conference www.biophilicdesignconference.comCredits: with thanks to George Harvey Audio Production for the calming biophilic soundscape that backs all of our podcasts. Listen to our podcast on Audible, Amazon Music, Spotify, iTunes, YouTube and all the RSS feeds.https://www.facebook.com/journalofbiophilicdesign/https://twitter.com/JofBiophilicDsnhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/journalofbiophilicdesign/https://www.instagram.com/journalofbiophilicdesign
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