Grant McCargo, a longtime friend of Serenbe, is an environmentalist and the founder of Urban Villages, a real estate development company creating walkable, culturally rich, nature-connected places designed to stand the test of time.

One of the most striking examples of this work is Populus, a hotel in the heart of downtown Denver inspired by the aspen tree and rooted in biophilic design. It is also the first carbon-positive hotel in the United States, designed to capture more carbon than it emits. But Grant’s approach isn’t always about building something new. In Seattle’s historic Pioneer Square, Urban Villages is breathing new life into existing buildings through adaptive reuse, an approach Grant believes can be one of the most powerful things we can do for the environment.

In this conversation, Steve Nygren and Grant explore what happens when environmentalism becomes part of good business practice, why quality and thoughtful design can create greater value over time, and what we might build differently if we took a long term view instead of focusing on the next quarter or the next sale.

They also talk about why, ultimately, protecting the natural world should be at the heart of how we think about the places we build.

Show Notes

• Urban Villages
• Bio-Logical Capital
• Remembering Stephen Kellert
• Serenbe
• Start In Your Own Backyard

Keywords: Grant McCargo, Urban Villages, Populus Hotel, biophilic design, biophilic cities, sustainable development, sustainable architecture, environmentalism, green building, adaptive reuse, historic preservation, urban revitalization, walkable cities, walkability, nature and cities, nature connected design, long-term thinking, resilient cities, placemaking, mixed-use development, urban planning, Steve Nygren, Serenbe, Start In Your Own Backyard

Are You Ready For Radical Common Sense? Visionary placemaker Steve Nygren chronicles the rise of Serenbe, a pioneering model of biophilic living outside Atlanta, and charts a path for others wishing to challenge the status quo, embrace optimism, and reinvent their communities…and themselves.

Order the book today.

Subscribe on Substack and receive a free essay from Steve every week.

When Serenbe was in its early stages, people often tried to put a label on it. Terms like agrihood and eco-community came close, but never quite captured the vision. Then Steve heard urban planner and author Tim Beatley speak about biophilic cities and something clicked. A community shaped by a deep connection to nature and a respect for the living systems around us was exactly what he was trying to create at Serenbe.

Tim Beatley is the Teresa Heinz Professor of Sustainable Communities at the University of Virginia, where he has taught for more than 25 years. His work explores how cities and communities can become more sustainable, resilient, livable, and equitable. He is also the founder of Biophilic Cities, a global network connecting cities, researchers, and advocates working to bring nature back into the places we live.

In this conversation, Steve and Tim explore how growing up surrounded by nature shaped Tim’s work, what cities around the world are doing to reconnect people with the natural world, and why that connection matters so much to our everyday lives and wellbeing. They also talk about what each of us can do to build a deeper relationship with nature—starting right where we are.

Show Notes

• Biophilic Cities
• Biophilic Cities Journal
• Timothy Beatley
• Start In Your Own Backyard
• Serenbe

Keywords: Tim Beatley, biophilic cities, biophilic design, biophilia, nature and cities, sustainable cities, sustainable communities, urban planning, urban design, city planning, regenerative design, resilient cities, livable cities, equitable cities, nature in cities, reconnecting with nature, urban nature, green cities, green infrastructure, environmental design, nature-based solutions, Serenbe, Steve Nygren

Are You Ready For Radical Common Sense? Visionary placemaker Steve Nygren chronicles the rise of Serenbe, a pioneering model of biophilic living outside Atlanta, and charts a path for others wishing to challenge the status quo, embrace optimism, and reinvent their communities…and themselves.

Order the book today.

Subscribe on Substack and receive a free essay from Steve every week.

In this episode of Start In Your Own Backyard, Steve Nygren sits down with Mehmet Kalyoncu, a developer and visionary rethinking how architecture, mobility, community, and nature can shape the future of cities. What began with a visit to Serenbe has grown into an ongoing exchange of ideas between Serenbe and Mehmet’s work in Turkey.

Raised in the architecture and construction business, Mehmet was deeply involved in the development of Istanbul Airport before turning his attention to a bigger question: How can we build communities that are more connected to people, nature, and one another?

That question led him to found Ion, whose first major neighborhood project, Ion Riva, sits near Istanbul’s Black Sea coast. After visiting the project earlier this year, Steve was struck by its scale, beauty, connection to the landscape, and the collaborative team behind it.

The conversation also explores how the devastating 2023 earthquakes in Turkey reshaped Mehmet’s thinking about development, community resilience, and who gets a voice in shaping the future of a city.

Show Notes

• Ion Global on Instagram
• Ion Conversations at MIPIM 2026
• Snøhetta and BIG among architects of "landscape-led masterplan" for Istanbul (Dezeen)
• Mehmet Kalyoncu (Urban Future)
• Mehmet Kalyoncu on Instagram

Are You Ready For Radical Common Sense? Visionary placemaker Steve Nygren chronicles the rise of Serenbe, a pioneering model of biophilic living outside Atlanta, and charts a path for others wishing to challenge the status quo, embrace optimism, and reinvent their communities…and themselves.

Order the book today.

Subscribe on Substack and receive a free essay from Steve every week.