BETTER BLOCK FOUNDATION

Better Blocks have a two-fold purpose: They shows the community members that they have the power to make changes in their neighborhoods, and they show City Hall how these changes would work.

The first Better Block proposed a rezoning of Tyler Street in Dallas; it showcased the high fees of adding street cafes; it recommended changing the street from a one-way to a two-way. All these things have been done. But, most importantly, it brought neighbors together to make a change.

Better Block focuses on six major activities:

• Develop open-source media to help cities, community groups, and emerging leaders create rapid prototyping in the service of creative placemaking and support of public life
• Create opportunities for communities and their existing and emerging leaders to gain exposure to and training from urban planning experts, civic innovators and architects from around the world through global symposiums
• Facilitate community engagement though input and information, employing charrettes, neighborhood meeting and workshops with residents, stakeholders and governments about the value of rapid prototyping to enhance public life
• Host and organize study tours to benchmark successful examples of sustainable initiatives around the world
• Create new and improve existing modeling tools though experimentation with innovative technologies and scientific solutions
• Create mentorship programs for emerging leaders and young urbanists