Description

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What is it like to start a new community-not a suburb or a subdivision, but a town, intended to be a self-supporting community that combines the best of the new technological innovations and the most cherished nostalgic elements of American towns? In 1997, six months after the first residents relocated to Celebration, Florida--Disney's "model" town--Doug Frantz and Cathy Collins and their two children moved in to participate in and report on this new venture. Their account, which The Richmond Style Weekly called a "fascinating and evenhanded" report from the trenches, follows the ups and downs of the two years the family lived this experiment firsthand; the new afterword details their surprisingly difficult transition back to a "normal life" in Westport, Connecticut. Their experience tells us as much about ourselves and our hopes and dreams as it does about the daily reality of building a community from the ground up.

About the Author

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In 1997, Doug Frantz and Cathy Collins moved with their two children, Nick and Becky, to Celebration, Florida, to report on the growth of Disney's model community. Doug is on the national staff of The New York Times; he and Cathy are the co-authors of Teachers: Talking Out of School.

In 1997, Cathy Collins and Doug Frantz moved with their two children, Nick and Becky, to Celebration, Florida, to report on the growth of Disney's model community. Collins and Frantz are the co-authors of Teachers: Talking Out of School.

Praise For…

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“The authors report engagingly and objectively on what they saw and heard at Celebration...a highly valuable case study on one of the most important movements in community building in decades.” —Cleveland Plain Dealer

“Insightful and thought-provoking.... Offers good humor, excellent research, compelling anecdotes.” —BookPage

“[An] eminently readable account.” —USA Today

“A prize winning reporter describes life in Disney's vision of the future in a book that is 'admirably candid and readable'.” —Los Angeles Times