From Robert Whitcomb's "Digital Diary,'' in GoLocal24.com

Serenbe, an “intentional community’’ outside Atlanta, which is infamous for sprawl development, speaks to the desire of many Americans for a return to the idea of close-knit towns in some partly mythical past and/or to go to a utopian future where people can live close to nature without giving up such urban pleasures as high-class entertainment, nice restaurants and shops.  Serenbe is a mix of single-family houses (in different styles), townhouses and apartments and incorporates many energy-saving “green”” ideas. It’s not cookie-cutter. It also looks a bit small-town New Englandish.

It is, however, a bit precious. As Mimi Kirk wrote in an article about Serenbe, “In some ways, Serenbe is like a less-gritty version of a gentrified urban enclave, one that’s surrounded by woods instead of less-affluent neighborhoods.’’ In any case, sociologically and environmentally, it’s a major improvement over the usual suburban sprawl of ranch houses and McMansions.]

To read Ms. Kirk’s article, please hit this link:

https://www.citylab.com/design/2018/03/the-seductive-power-of-a-suburban-utopia/555329/