Team Better Block
Team Better Block is a Dallas-based urban placemaking consultancy that helps municipalities reimagine public spaces through tactical urbanism consulting and a proprietary line of modular precast concrete barriers (Bike Block, Low Wall, Arch Block), serving cities, nonprofits, and private developers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersDallas, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Team Better Block does
Team Better Block, LLC is an urban placemaking consultancy founded in 2010 and headquartered in Dallas, Texas. The firm pioneered the "Better Block" methodology, a community-driven tactical urbanism approach that helps municipalities rapidly reimagine public spaces through temporary and low-cost interventions. Its work has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, Dwell Magazine, and the 2012 Venice Biennale, and the methodology has been adopted in more than 200 cities worldwide across 150+ documented projects.
The firm operates a dual business model combining professional consulting services with a proprietary physical product line. Consulting engagements span four named practice areas: Building a Better Block, Public Space Design, Street Infrastructure, and Autonomous Urbanism. The product line consists of modular precast concrete and plastic barriers branded as Bike Block, Low Wall, and Arch Block, which enable rapid tactical installations by cities and community groups. The firm maintains awarded-vendor status with TxSHARE, a Texas cooperative purchasing program that provides preferred procurement access to municipal buyers.
Customers include municipal governments (the primary segment), quasi-governmental economic development agencies such as MassDevelopment, national nonprofit organizations including AARP and NAR, and private retail real estate partners such as Starwood Retail Partners. Delivery relies on a core team of 1–10 employees supplemented by independent contractors, and the firm has expanded project activity beyond Texas into Massachusetts, Utah, Colorado, Indiana, Ohio, and Florida. No external funding rounds have been disclosed, and the firm operates as a privately held LLC.
Team Better Block firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Team Better Block
- Legal name
- Team Better Block, LLC
- Website
- https://teambetterblock.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Team Better Block is a Dallas-based urban placemaking consultancy that helps municipalities reimagine public spaces through tactical urbanism consulting and a proprietary line of modular precast concrete barriers (Bike Block, Low Wall, Arch Block), serving cities, nonprofits, and private developers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Team Better Block industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Placemaking and Urban Planning Consulting
- NAICS
- Structural Steel and Precast Concrete Contractors (238120), Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction (23731)
- SIC
- Concrete Products, Except Block & Brick (3272)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Concrete Pavers, Hardscape & Retaining Wall Systems (IMADAAAE)
Keywords
Where Team Better Block is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dallas
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Team Better Block business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Urban Planning and Placemaking Consulting Services: Team Better Block provides paid consulting services for community revitalization projects, pop-up placemaking demonstrations, public space design and activation, street infrastructure planning, and autonomous urbanism advisory. Revenue is generated project-by-project with municipal and organizational clients.
- Precast Concrete and Plastic Infrastructure Product Sales: The company manufactures and sells precast concrete lane barriers (Bike Block, Low Wall, Low Wall Sloped) and plastic lane delineators (Arch Block). Products are sold directly, through bid specifications for government procurement, and through cooperative purchasing programs (TxSHARE).
- Toolkit and Recipe Licensing / Distribution: Team Better Block partnered with AARP Livable Communities to develop and distribute the 'Pop-Up Placemaking Toolkit' (free) and recipe library. While the toolkit is free, it serves as a lead-generation and brand-amplification tool for consulting and product sales.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Buy Direct |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Government Cooperative Purchasing (TxSHARE) |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Bid Specification Integration |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels12 records
Team Better Block product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Team Better Block is an urban planning and placemaking consultancy that helps municipal and organizational clients temporarily re-engineer unsafe, auto-dominated, or underused urban spaces into vibrant, multimodal public centers through pop-up events, community engagement workshops, and street infrastructure demonstrations. In parallel, the company manufactures and sells proprietary pre-cast concrete and recycled-plastic lane barriers (Bike Block, Low Wall, Arch Block, and custom variants) for rapid traffic calming and bicycle/pedestrian safety, available via direct sales, government bid specifications, and the TxSHARE cooperative purchasing program.
Product overview
Team Better Block operates as a placemaking and urban planning firm offering both physical infrastructure products and professional services. The product portfolio includes precast concrete traffic lane barriers (Bike Block, Low Wall, Low Wall - Sloped, and custom variants) alongside plastic alternatives for temporary applications. Services encompass community engagement workshops (Building a Better Block), public space design and activation, street infrastructure consulting (Street Infraculture), and emerging technology advisory (Autonomous Urbanism). The company also provides free concept planning for street retrofitting to improve safety for bicycle and pedestrian users.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Bike Block Bike Block is a pre-cast concrete traffic lane barrier that weighs less than 400 pounds, measures 8'0" L x 6" H x 1'0" W, and can be moved with basic equipment and installed with minimal training. It is designed for cities and contractors that need rapid, low-maintenance separation between vehicle lanes and bicycle or pedestrian paths.
- Arch Block - Plastic Arch Block - Plastic is a recycled-plastic street-friendly arch block replacing highway-style delineator posts, with DOT reflective and strong flexible materials woven together. It measures 6' L x 3" H x 4" W and requires a curb stop mounted to the driving surface. It is intended for cities that want a more aesthetic buffer between cars and pedestrians.
- Low Wall Low Wall is a pre-cast concrete barrier designed for roadways greater than 40 mph, measuring 9'10 1/8" L x 1'5 3/4" H x 1'5 3/4" W. It can be installed with tensile strength between segments, reducing the need for penetration into the roadway surface, and is intended for higher-speed arterial safety applications.
- Low Wall - Sloped Low Wall - Sloped is a sloped variant of the Low Wall pre-cast concrete barrier measuring 13'9 3/8" L x 1'5 3/4" H x 1'5 3/4" W. It is targeted at higher-speed roadways that require taller separation between vehicle lanes and pedestrian or bicycle paths with a sloped edge profile.
- Custom Pre-cast Concrete Lane Barriers Custom Pre-cast Concrete Lane Barriers are pre-cast concrete barriers with city-specific aesthetic and safety features, such as the Denver Rocky Mountain profile made of reflective PVC instead of delineator posts. Custom widths and lengths are available, and the firm's creative team works with clients to tailor the design to community identity.
- Non-Concrete Lane Barriers Non-Concrete Lane Barriers are affordable plastic barrier alternatives used for demonstrations lasting from a weekend to several years. They are designed for communities not yet ready for concrete solutions and serve as a low-commitment starting point for traffic calming interventions.
- Building a Better Block Building a Better Block is the firm's foundational community engagement service that plans and orchestrates short-term local events to temporarily improve the physical and economic environment on a specific city block through participatory workshops. It is offered to municipal governments, neighborhood associations, and partner organizations seeking to build community consensus for permanent street changes.
- Public Space Design & Activation Public Space Design & Activation provides creative solutions for underused interior and exterior spaces, covering both temporary use and long-term repurposing. The service includes four-season programming expertise, including wintertime attractions, and is delivered to cities, retailers, and organizations.
- Street Infraculture Street Infraculture is the firm's traffic calming service that includes demonstrations with innovative traffic products and produces reports with guidelines, data, and best practices to reflect changes in travel speeds and increase pedestrian safety. It is targeted at municipal transportation and public works departments.
- Autonomous Urbanism Autonomous Urbanism is an advisory service exploring how new transportation technologies could advance safety, public life, and sustainability in cities. The firm partners with entrepreneurs and advocates to plan pilot projects that test emerging mobility innovations in real urban environments.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 200 cities worldwide have used the Better Block approach for urban revitalization
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Team Better Block
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Team Better Block technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Team Better Block partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Spin ScooterscoreSpin Scooter Company partnered with Salt Lake City, Bike Utah, and Team Better Block to redesign an intersection well-used by micromobility vehicles. The Spin Space project transformed the intersection with dutch-style designs, colored crosswalks, and bike lanes, enhancing safety for scooter and bicycle users while adding community identity.
- MassDevelopmentcoreMassDevelopment is a key strategic partner for Team Better Block. Through the Transformative Development Initiative (TDI), Team Better Block has worked alongside MassDevelopment on projects in Massachusetts Gateway Cities including Salem, Springfield, Brockton, New Bedford, and Charlestown. MassDevelopment has served as the primary funder and orchestrator of TDI projects, with Team Better Block providing placemaking expertise and implementation.
- AARP Livable CommunitiescoreTeam Better Block partnered with AARP Livable Communities to develop the 'Pop-Up Placemaking Toolkit,' a free comprehensive guide sharing tools, techniques, and lessons learned from pop-up placemaking demonstrations. AARP has also provided grant funding and hosted workshops with Team Better Block, expanding the reach of placemaking to a wider audience of communities.
- Bike UtahminorBike Utah partnered with Team Better Block, Spin Scooters, and Salt Lake City for the Spin Space micromobility intersection redesign project in Salt Lake City, Utah (September 2019).
- National Association of RealtorsminorAndrew Howard (Principal of Team Better Block) lists the National Association of Realtors among his current clients. The relationship involves placemaking and urban planning consulting that benefits realtor community interests in walkable, livable neighborhoods.
- Starwood Retail PartnerscoreStarwood Retail Partners engaged Team Better Block for the 'Better Malls, Better Suburbia' project at the Mall at Wellington Green (FL) and Great Northern (OH) in Fall 2016. The partnership reimagined malls as community gathering spaces through the 'Art of Living Locally' initiative, combining visual art, fitness, markets, performance art, and locally sourced food.
- Crescent CommunitiesminorAndrew Howard (Principal of Team Better Block) lists Crescent Communities among his current clients, providing placemaking and urban design advisory services.
- City of WichitaminorThe City of Wichita is listed as one of Team Better Block's partners, contributing to placemaking and community revitalization projects along the way.
- City of Salt Lake CityminorCity of Salt Lake City partnered with Team Better Block, Spin Scooters, and Bike Utah for the Spin Space project (September 2019), transforming a high-micromobility intersection with safer, community-identified design.
- Hanover Main Street AssociationminorListed as a partner organization that Team Better Block has worked with on placemaking and community revitalization projects.
- Main Street NewnanminorListed as a partner organization that Team Better Block has worked with on placemaking and community revitalization projects.
- American Association of Real PossibilitiesminorAndrew Howard (Principal of Team Better Block) lists American Association of Real Possibilities among his current clients for placemaking and urban design consulting.
- Now + There, Inc.coreNow + There led the Lot Lab activation at Charlestown's Navy Yard (2023-2025) in partnership with Team Better Block, MassDevelopment, and the National Parks Service. The project transformed a long-dormant Navy Yard building with public art and community gathering spaces.
- National Parks ServiceminorNational Parks Service partnered with Now + There and Team Better Block for the Lot Lab project at Charlestown's Navy Yard, filling an empty lot with public art and community programming.
- Massachusetts Design Art & Technology Institute (DATMA)coreDATMA partnered with Team Better Block for the SHELTER initiative (2019-2021) in New Bedford, MA, activating public spaces with culturally relevant public art that drew upon the city's historic identity.
- North Shore Community Development Corporation / Punto Urban Art MuseumcoreThe Casa de Abuela initiative (2022-2023) was led by the North Shore CDC and Punto Urban Art Museum in Salem, MA, with Team Better Block providing placemaking expertise to honor the diversity of Salem's Point neighborhood through cultural experiences and public art.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Team Better Block competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Street Plans: Street Plans is an urban planning, design, and advocacy firm focused on multimodal transportation and tactical urbanism, producing the 'Tactical Urbanist's Guide to Materials and Design' and advising cities on quick-build street interventions. Closely comparable to Team Better Block's Better Block consulting and Bike Block product offerings.
- Alta Planning + Design: Alta Planning + Design is an active transportation and placemaking consulting firm serving municipalities, agencies, and private developers on bike/pedestrian infrastructure and complete streets projects. Comparable to Team Better Block's consulting practice and a fellow proponent of pop-up demonstration-based community engagement.
- TraffiCalm Systems: TraffiCalm Systems manufactures traffic calming and road safety products, including rubber and concrete curb barriers, delineators, and radar speed feedback signs. Comparable to Team Better Block's precast concrete lane barriers and plastic alternatives on the hardware side.
- Fehr & Peers: Fehr & Peers is a transportation planning and traffic engineering consultancy serving public and private sector clients on multimodal street design and traffic safety. Comparable to Team Better Block's transportation and placemaking consulting services for municipal clients.
- Project for Public Spaces: Project for Public Spaces (PPS) is a nonprofit planning, design, and consulting organization that pioneered the modern placemaking movement and advises cities, neighborhoods, and public agencies on community-driven public space activation. Direct peer to Team Better Block's consulting and placemaking services, sharing the same target customers (municipalities) and methodology.
- Toole Design Group: Toole Design Group is a transportation engineering and planning firm specializing in bicycle, pedestrian, and multimodal street design for public sector clients. Comparable to Team Better Block on the consulting/services side, sharing municipal clients and street safety focus, though operating at significantly larger scale.
- Sam Schwartz Engineering: Sam Schwartz Engineering is a transportation planning and engineering consultancy serving public agencies on complete streets, urban mobility, and traffic safety initiatives. Comparable to Team Better Block's Street Infraculture and Autonomous Urbanism consulting services, though at a larger scale.
- Calpipe Security Bollards: Calpipe Security Bollards is a manufacturer of traffic safety, security, and streetscape products including bollards, traffic separators, and lane delineators. Comparable to Team Better Block's concrete/plastic lane barrier products sold through government procurement channels.
- Reliance Foundry: Reliance Foundry manufactures and distributes traffic calming, bollard, and street separation products (including recycled plastic and concrete lane delineators) sold to cities and contractors. Direct peer to Team Better Block's Arch Block and Bike Block product lines, competing in the same government procurement channels.
Emerging players
- Streetsmart (now part of Toole Design): Streetsmart was an urban design, planning, and civic engagement firm specializing in placemaking and tactical urbanism for municipalities, with a similar consulting profile to Team Better Block before being acquired by Toole Design Group. Comparable as a former independent peer in the same niche.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Team Better Block social profiles
Digital presenceTeam Better Block financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Team Better Block leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Team Better Block funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Team Better Block M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Team Better Block
What does Team Better Block do?
Team Better Block is an urban planning and placemaking consultancy that helps municipal and organizational clients temporarily re-engineer unsafe, auto-dominated, or underused urban spaces into vibrant, multimodal public centers through pop-up events, community engagement workshops, and street infrastructure demonstrations. In parallel, the company manufactures and sells proprietary pre-cast concrete and recycled-plastic lane barriers (Bike Block, Low Wall, Arch Block, and custom variants) for rapid traffic calming and bicycle/pedestrian safety, available via direct sales, government bid specifications, and the TxSHARE cooperative purchasing program.
Is Team Better Block a public or private company?
Team Better Block is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Team Better Block founded?
Team Better Block was founded in 2010. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Team Better Block based?
Team Better Block is headquartered in Dallas, United States, in the North America region.
How does Team Better Block make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Urban Planning and Placemaking Consulting Services are the primary driver. The others are precast Concrete and Plastic Infrastructure Product Sales and toolkit and Recipe Licensing / Distribution.
Who are Team Better Block's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Street Plans, Alta Planning + Design, TraffiCalm Systems, Fehr & Peers, Project for Public Spaces, Toole Design Group, Sam Schwartz Engineering, Calpipe Security Bollards and Reliance Foundry. Streetsmart (now part of Toole Design) is listed as an emerging player.
Does Team Better Block have an API?
No public API is recorded for Team Better Block.
What industry is Team Better Block in?
Team Better Block's product category is Placemaking and Urban Planning Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMADAAAE, Concrete Pavers, Hardscape & Retaining Wall Systems. Its NAICS code is 238120 and its SIC code is 3272.