The Better Block

3,000 people showed up to a street residents once said they would never visit. Kenmore Boulevard in Akron had fallen into decline, so we showed what was possible! This is Pillar 1: Show, Don’t Tell part two from our 10 Year Impact Report from SMU MADI. #BettterBlock

In 2019, with 100 volunteers and our partners at @880Cities, we transformed a block of Danforth Avenue in Toronto with protected bike lanes, expanded pedestrian space, seating, and planters. This is just one story from Pillar 1 of our 10 Year Impact Report: Show, Don’t Tell!

The walking is real and so are the stairs. Fire trucks are smaller, which supports narrower streets. There is whimsy everywhere. Public trash cans are rare, yet the city is clean. And a favorite? Shibuya Crossing, a crosswalk people travel across the world just to experience.

Sometimes a painted line is the infrastructure - bikes are everywhere, benches are built into the streetscape, asphalt art shows up in surprising places, and the transit is next level. Different city, same lesson: how we design our streets shapes how people move and connect!

During a recent trip to Tokyo, Japan, Executive Director, Krista, had the chance to explore the city alongside the @placemakingjp network and saw how Tokyo has thoughtfully reallocated car space to create people-centered places!

Often called “sneckdowns” (snowy neckdowns), they reveal the parts of our streets that cars don’t actually use. That space could be reimagined as extended sidewalks, bike lanes, green space, etc. Small insights like these can lead to big changes when it comes to safer streets!

Reconnection starts at the block level! Through hands-on design, quick demonstrations, and a whole lot of paint, these teams during the Better Block Workshop are reimagining how streets can reconnect neighborhoods. What would reconnection look like on your block? #BetterBlock

We teamed up with @SmartGrowthUSA and @Stantec in Little Rock, Arkansas, for SGA’s Community Connectors workshop - bringing together city teams working to improve roadway safety, and build the long-term partnerships needed to permanently reconnect their communities! #BetterBlock

From Tulsa Learning Journey to creating safer intersections to parking reform, we’re grateful for everyone who supported this work along the way. Executive Director Krista Nightingale is excited to keep creating better blocks going into 2026! Learn more: betterblock.org

Project Manager Meredith Jones shares insights from the Cottonwood Creek Trail project and highlights the power of community and the shared commitment to transforming the trail into a space everyone can use and enjoy! Learn more: betterblock.org #BetterBlock

From community bus benches, to Week Without Driving national campaign, to the Greening Dallas Initiative project, Communications Coordinator Imani Chet Lytle reflects on her 2025 highlights! Learn more: betterblock.org #BetterBlock

Project Manager Azael Alvarez shares his highlights from Downtown Irving and West Dallas STEM, showing how each activation made impact by allowing the community, no matter what age, can create a long-term positive change in their neighborhoods! Learn more: betterblock.org

Draven Pointer, Director of Productions, reflects on some of the exciting Wikiblock designs we brought to life last year and showcased designs created by some of our finalists from the Creating Connections Competition in 2024! Learn more: betterblock.org/library #BetterBlock

As we look ahead to 2026, Senior Project Manager Marissa Lopez reflects on a year of meaningful milestones from completing our first Better Block University cohort to bringing the Sugar Land Better Block project to life! Learn more at betterblock.org #BetterBlock

What makes a downtown sticky? We partnered with @thecityofirving to transform Main Street into a Living Street. From muralized crosswalks and parklets to ghost facades and storefront activations, every element creates a people-first space that keeps visitors coming back.

During the month of December, Better Block and @TheLoopDallas are hosting a series of free programs (open to all ages and experience levels) to keep the energy going along the Cottonwood Creek trail! Check out what’s coming up: theloopdallas.org/BETTERBLOCK/ #BetterBlock

With volunteers, @thecityofirving, and partners, we reimagined Downtown Irving into a Living Street/Woonerf with muralized crosswalks, a checkerboard plaza, ghost facades, parklets, and more. 3,000+ attendees, 20+ vendors, and counting as the activation continues all year!

We are looking for our next team member, a Production Designer, someone who studied architecture, knows digital fabrication, has a dash of graphic design, and is interested in street design. (and proficient with power tools.) Email your resume/portfolio to krista@betterblock.org.

“Instead of only rotating blasts of enforcement and service providers, Cottonwood’s new approach incorporates design + community involvement.” Read more via the Lab Report Dallas to learn more and how to volunteer for the Nov. 22 activation: theloopdallas.org/betterblock

Sometimes, saving lives starts with a little tape, paint, and teamwork! #BetterBlock #SaferIntersections #Placemaking