Housing that Heals

Humans are an ever-evolving species, and there’s no doubt that the way we live has evolved, especially in the last year. Our lives are no longer as stable and stationary as we’re becoming more mobile, virtual and in some ways, unbalanced. People are getting married later in life, creating smaller families or choosing to live alone, which is just proof that our lifestyles are changing from what they used to be. One of the major imbalances that can affect our lifestyles today is housing, or the communities we live in. Whether we’ve evolved by choice or force, our housing situation has yet to evolve with us. Luckily, there are people doing work to open our eyes to new ideas and opportunities to figure out how to live a less lonely and more affordable lifestyle. One such person is writer and urban policy specialist Diana Lind, whose book Brave New Home: Our Future in Smarter, Simpler, Happier Housing, featured in The New York Times, offers a “diagnosis of the current American housing crisis and a radical re-imagining of future possibilities”, says boldtypebooks.com.

In her book, Diana explores communities and neighborhoods that are working against American housing norms to create a more inclusive, affordable and healthy way of living. She discusses some communities that are exploring ways to live more multi-generational such as including more in-law suits and co-living spaces. Diana also explores places that are building tiny houses or micro-apartments. She dives deep into new rural communities, and even includes an entire chapter, Housing That Heals, on Serenbe as a new community model.

Serenbe was built upon the idea that it is possible to build with the land, rather than against it and this idea is implemented throughout the community design, making it a model for new community development. The design features clustered housing so that 25% more houses are built using less land than traditional, cookie-cutter developments. And rather than building these houses on a traditional grid system, the streets form omega shapes, allowing city scapes out your front door and nature trails out your back door.

Studies show that regular access to nature decreases anxiety and depression levels, among other health benefits, so having that access is essential in healthy living. Another aspect that makes Serenbe the future of living is it’s walkability and live-work spaces. In Brave New Home, Diana says that “when the suburbs truly blossomed nearly a century ago, planners and developers didn’t realize that suburban areas built without sidewalks would discourage walking, or that residential-only development without commercial areas or cultural institutions would be alienating. They didn’t think about the environmental consequences of driving everywhere.” Serenbe’s goal is to blend together common sense, healthy living concepts with the perks of living in nature.

Other than walkability, Diana touches on how Serenbe is built around a 25-acre certified organic farm, allowing CSA (community supported agriculture) members to walk each week to pick up their fresh produce straight from the source. She also brings up smaller design details that contribute to healthy living, such as eliminating ugly, green garbage bins with underground, hidden bins so that our eyes are free from visual pollution. Another example is how each house has a large front porch and is pulled closely to the street to encourage “accidental interactions” as founder Steve Nygren likes to call them.

Diana closes this chapter by quoting Brian Rahmer of Enterprise Community Partners, where he states that “we are increasingly seeing how individual health is tied to that of our neighborhoods, which is tied to the health of the planet.” We have to move away from the financial upside of housing and move towards the idea that housing informs our health as well.

The Urban Land Institute (ULI) is kicking off their Spring Book Club: Building Healthy Places Book Club: Brave New Home starting April 1 and Steve Nygren will be part of the first discussion. Diana Lind and Lisa Y. Gordon, CPA, is President and Chief Executive Officer of Atlanta Habitat for Humanity. Participation is free with registration.  

Purchase your copy of Brave New Home from our favorite bookstore Hills & Hamlets, located in Serenbe’s Grange Hamlet.

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