A Georgia neighborhood has placed a 25-acre organic farm at the center of community life, retaining green space across roughly 70% of its land while favoring front porches, gardens, and walking paths over garages and lawns.
Here's what to know
Serenbe, located in Chattahoochee Hills about 30 miles southwest of Atlanta, brings together homes, food production, and protected land.
The farm-centered community is the subject of an Instagram post by content creator Grant Stoll (@grantonsoil), who credits founders Steve Nygren and Marie Nygren with beginning its development in 2004. According to the post, more than 1,200 people live there.
Neighborhood restaurants, a community-supported agriculture program, and a weekly farmers market receive the farm's harvest. The organic farm produces more than 300 varieties of fruit, vegetables, herbs, and flowers, Stoll says.
More background
In this community, fig trees and blueberry bushes grow beside neighborhood paths, while native and edible plants fill front yards. Trails link shops and restaurants with homes whose porches face the communal green areas.
Responses to the Instagram post raised concerns about affordability. One commenter wrote, "Serenbe is literally just rich people pretending to be farmers, It's super cultural like and weird. Also very very expensive and elitist."
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The post did not provide home prices or affordability figures.
What's being done?
Serenbe's development benefited from changes in local land use policy. Transferring development rights became an option under a 2003 ordinance approved by local landowners, according to Stoll.
Locals formed their own city in 2007 to protect their approach to development. Zoning established by the community requires compact, walkable hamlets, with land and farm preservation built into the development framework.
Supporting nearby farmers and advocating for local rule changes were Stoll's suggestions for people unable to relocate to Serenbe.
Across the country, community gardens and land donations have also improved public access to gardening and nature.
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