Serenbe

Serenbe is a neighborhood within the city limits of Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia, in Fulton County, in the Atlanta metropolitan area. Serenbe is an example of New Urbanism.

Hill Restaurant and other businesses in Serenbe
Courtyard in Serenbe
Houses in Serenbe

Steve Nygren, who had previously opened a Bed & Breakfast in the area, developed Serenbe.[1] The name "Serenbe" was his wife Marie's idea, and refers to the location’s serenity. The name is manifested from the phrases "serenity" and "to be".[1]

Serenbe's residences consist of single-family houses and row houses. All have front porches but no backyards; they face a common greenspace and trails.[2] Proximity to shops and services encourages walking. Architectural styles include Arts and Crafts-style cottages, loft-style townhouses and sleek modern "boxes".[1]

The village comprises three hamlets. The Selborne hamlet is devoted to the visual and culinary arts and currently contains Serenbe’s retail shops. The Grange hamlet has an agricultural theme, and the Mado hamlet focuses on health and healing.[1]

In the 1990s, Steve and Marie Nygren visited an organic farm, and this is when they developed a vision to create an entirely sustainable community that was just outside of Atlanta. Part of their goal was to protect the wetlands and natural landscape of the Chattahoochee Hills  area. The first residential home was sold in 2004, and since then, there are now over 100 residents living at Serenbe.

Serenbe is an example of an urban village, and 70% of its land is protected from development.[3] Nygren was inspired by principles of New Urbanism and applied that to his town design, with walkability and shared green spaces and a variety of houses and buildings.[4] The values of Serenbe are a close connection to nature, community, the arts, education, local food, and the amenities of a city. There are llamas and goats amongst other animals that live at this farm. Residents get to enjoy organic, farm-fresh veggies each week, even though many community members do not work at the farm.

This concept of an urban utopia is not a new one; it resembles many other utopia-esque ideas that stem from 19th century Europe and other countries. The overlying idea of a place such as Serenbe is the retreat from the downtown city and to form a smaller, sustainable city.

Some other examples of such communities are Celebration, FL, Utopia, OH , and La Réunion, TX . The actual layout of Serenbe itself is designed to make more use of the space, and there is 20% more housing per square mile compared to other suburbs. All the trash goes in the ground so it isn’t visible, and a golf cart comes around weekly collecting trash—the golf cart is to cut down on noise pollution.[4]

Serenbe has received criticism for being a bubble outside of Atlanta, with high-end goods and homes that on average cost more than a million dollars. Wellness as a commodity is certainly trending, with wellness communities popping up around the world. Wellness real estate is currently valued at $52.5 billion in North America, and this number is increasing.[4]

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Further reading

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