The Better Block
We’re an urban design nonprofit that educates, equips, and empowers communities' environments.
Better Block Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that educates, equips, and empowers communities and their leaders to reshape and reactivate built environments to promote the growth of healthy and vibrant neighborhoods.
10/01/2026
We’re excited to be featured on the Season 11 finale of Active Towns!
Tune in this Friday, October 2, at 2 PM ET for a conversation with our Executive Director, Krista Nightengale, about how we work alongside communities to create safer and people-centric places.
We hope you’ll tune in: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtvBDDmoRU4
How to Build a Better Block In this episode, I finally connect with Better Block Executive Dire...
The World Cup gave us 56 days to experiment with Main Street in Downtown Dallas, and what we observed gave us a glimpse of what could come next.
We collected 406 survey responses, observed 586 pedestrian crossings, and found that 95% supported a more pedestrian-friendly Main Street, 78% said it felt more walkable during the installation, and 74% discovered a downtown business they hadn’t visited before. We also documented 137 instances of curb space being used for deliveries, rideshare, pickups, and drop-offs - not just for parking.
The experiment may be over, but the lessons don’t have to be. You can view all nine findings in our Activate Main Street Data Study through the link in our bio or visiting betterblock.org
A special thank you to Downtown Dallas, Inc. (Downtown Dallas, Inc.) for their support in making this study possible!
Join us and Dallas Housing Coalition this Saturday for our first Be My Neighbor zoning block party! We created custom, interactive zoning education tools that allow residents to visualize concepts like housing density and see how potential zoning changes could play out in real neighborhoods. See you there!
09/17/2026
North Texas Giving Day is here!
Today, we’re celebrating the people who make our work possible. Thank you to everyone who has donated, volunteered, shared our work, or supported Better Block in any way over the past 10 years!
Because of you, we can continue working alongside communities to test ideas and turn people-centered projects into lasting change.
Your support helps us build better spaces, one block at a time. Thank you for being part of the Better Block community.
Give today: www.northtexasgivingday.org/organization/Better-Block-Foundation
Communities Foundation of Texas
09/15/2026
Did you know proof-of-concept projects can catalyze city plans into realized infrastructure?
In 2020, we piloted a bike lane connecting Downtown Dallas to the Farmers Market and The Cedars. The project helped turned a recommendation from the Dallas 360 Plan to life and build momentum for $700,000 in bond funding toward a permanent installation.
By testing out temporary practices, communities can turn ideas into action, and action into progress toward lasting change.
With North Texas Giving Day just two days away, your support can helps us continue creating people-centered projects that can grow into something more.
Give today: www.northtexasgivingday.org/organization/Better-Block-Foundation
Communities Foundation of Texas
09/08/2026
Did you know temporary traffic demonstrations can lead to permanent zoning changes?
In the Richardson Innovation District, a street was designed to accommodate 45,000 vehicles per day, but was only seeing about 13,000. That meant the roadway had roughly 32,000 vehicles of excess capacity that could be reimagined for people. We repurposed roadway space to add bike lanes and a midblock crosswalk, giving the community and city officials an opportunity to test a different street design.
The demonstration helped inform the City of Richardson’s Innovation District form-based zoning update, which ultimately included reducing vehicle travel lanes on Greenville Avenue in favor of pedestrian and bicycle facilities. When communities experience an idea firsthand, they can see what works and help build a case for lasting change.
This North Texas Giving Day, your support can help us bring this same approach to more neighborhoods through our Better Intersections Initiative.
Give today: https://www.northtexasgivingday.org/organization/Better-Block-Foundation
Communities Foundation of Texas
A waterfront park in downtown Corpus Christi, Texas, sat underused and disconnected from the rest of the city.
The space was described as a concrete expanse people passed by instead of a place where they gathered. Instead of just imagining what the waterfront could become, we built a temporary version and tested what would happen if we gave people a reason to come.
Back in 2023, with help from the Downtown Corpus Christi Managment District and more than 100 volunteers, this pier became a true public square with a 14,400-square-foot mural, local music, food vendors, and more during the annual Mural Fest. People gathered around the space, took photos, shared their experiences, and began seeing the waterfront differently. A simple “CCTX” sign became a symbol of place and pride, proving that people wanted to be there. They just needed a reason to experience it differently.
The success shifted perceptions of the waterfront and sparked a comprehensive Marina Master Plan for the district.
The lesson here is that if you give people a reason to come and see what was possible, they will come.
This is Pillar 3: Proving Market Demand Where None Was Seen, part of our 10-Year Impact Report series. Stay tuned for our final Pillar 3 project!
09/01/2026
Did you know that temporary traffic calming can spur long-term investment?
At the Detroit G7 Better Block, we temporarily reduced travel lanes on a 35 MPH road where drivers were traveling up to 63 MPH. During the one-day activation, not a single car was recorded traveling over 40 MPH.
The demonstration helped the City of Detroit secure a $24 million state grant to fund permanent safety improvements. This is the power of Show, Don’t Tell: Testing ideas in real spaces helps communities see what works and turn temporary changes into positive, lasting developments.
This North Texas Giving Day, your support can help us bring that same approach to more neighborhoods. We’re fundraising to apply the lessons we’ve learned in Dallas through our Better Intersections Initiative.
You can give today at: www.northtexasgivingday.org/organization/Better-Block-Foundation
08/27/2026
It’s Early Giving, and your support can help us build better places, one block at a time!
This North Texas Giving Day, we’re raising funds to take what we’ve learned through our work in Dallas and communities around the world and bring those lessons to more communities through our Better Intersections Initiative.
We work alongside communities to test ideas, temporarily transform spaces, and show what’s possible through thoughtful, people-centered design. By testing new ideas in real spaces, we demonstrate how small changes can create places where people can connect, gather, and thrive. Follow along over the next few weeks as we highlight the positive and lasting impacts some of our Better Block projects have created in communities.
Early Giving is open now through September 17. Your donation helps us continue educating, equipping, and empowering communities to reshape their environments through urban design and placemaking.
Visit www.northtexasgivingday.org/organization/Better-Block-Foundation to give today!
Communities Foundation of Texas
We welcomed our new cohort to Dallas for their first in-person class, where they learned the Better Block process, put their skills to the test through hands-on challenges, and even installed a temporary bike lane in the Texas heat.
Class 1 is in the books, but the work is just getting started. Mini-Better Blocks are already underway, and we can’t wait to see what this cohort creates in their communities!
Thank you to this year’s sponsors for their generous donations: Communities Foundation of Texas, Harold Simmons Foundation, and HEB.
Click here to claim your Sponsored Listing.
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1723 South Ewing Avenue
Dallas, TX
75216
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