Better Block

What Better Block does

Better Block Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Dallas, Texas, that educates, equips, and empowers communities to revitalize underutilized urban spaces through a 120-day collaborative placemaking methodology. Founded informally in 2010 by neighbors in Dallas and formally incorporated as a nonprofit in 2015 with a Knight Foundation capacity grant, the organization operates with an 8-person multidisciplinary team of urban planners, designers, artists, and production staff delivering community consulting, leadership training, and open-source tools. Its core product portfolio comprises the Better Block Process (a repeat methodology of listening, prototyping, and learning), Better Block in a Box (a custom-designed shipping container of placemaking equipment), Better Block University (a tuition-based leadership program at $5,000 per participant), Better Intersections (a quick-pilot street safety program), and Wikiblock (an open-source digital library of CNC-routable furniture designs).

Underlying technology is grounded in digital fabrication rather than software: Wikiblock designs can be downloaded free and manufactured from plywood sheets using CNC routers, 3D printers, or laser cutters at maker spaces, supporting rapid prototyping of public-space furniture including benches, planters, stages, bus stops, and kiosks. Web-based fabrication tools (DXF Adjuster, Sheet Material & Finish Helper) supplement the library.

Revenue is generated through four streams: professional services consulting (engagements such as Better Intersections at $40,000 per project), Better Block University tuition ($5,000 per participant), hardware sales of Better Block in a Box shipping containers, and donations/grants from foundations and individuals. Distribution is hybrid: direct consulting for regional projects (North Texas primary), tuition-based enrollment for the leadership program (regional), and global self-serve distribution of Wikiblock open-source designs. Notable institutional partners include the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, AARP, Toyota North America, The Dallas Foundation, Communities Foundation of Texas, Harold Simmons Foundation, HEB, Downtown Dallas Inc., and United Way of Metropolitan Dallas. The organization reports 10-year cumulative impact metrics of 145,000 people reached, $700 million in impact, 100,000 volunteers engaged, and a 73% temporary-to-permanent project conversion rate.

Name

Better Block

Legal name

The Better Block Foundation

Website

https://betterblock.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Better Block Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that helps neighborhoods revitalize underutilized urban blocks through a 120-day community-driven placemaking methodology, supported by open-source Wikiblock design tools, leadership training, and consulting services for cities and community organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Dallas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Community Consulting Services: Communities and organizations hire Better Block to guide them through the 120-day collaborative design and implementation process for revitalizing blocks. This is a service-based engagement model.
2. Better Block University Tuition: Leadership program tuition of $5,000 per participant, includes access to four class days, BBU cohort, 10 hours of one-on-one mentorship, and hotel costs for in-person kickoff in Dallas.
3. Better Block in a Box Sales: Sale of the Better Block in a Box shipping container solution containing all elements needed for placemaking events including seating, shading, and entertainment.
4. Donations and Grants: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Better Block relies on donations and grant funding from foundations and individual benefactors to further its mission.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Better Block sells and delivers community-driven placemaking services centered on a proprietary 120-day listening-prototyping-learning methodology that helps neighborhoods transform underutilized or blighted blocks into vibrant, walkable public spaces. The nonprofit bundles this consulting engagement with educational offerings (Better Block University), a portable shipping-container toolkit (Better Block in a Box), a street-safety pilot program (Better Intersections), and a free open-source Wikiblock design library of CNC-routable furniture and structures. Revenue is generated through consulting fees, program tuition, hardware sales, donations, and grants.

Product overview

Better Block is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates as a platform of community-driven placemaking programs, educational offerings, and open-source tools. The portfolio centers on the Better Block Process—a 120-day methodology for grassroots urban design—supplemented by Better Block in a Box (a portable toolkit shipping container), Better Block University (a four-month leadership program), and Better Intersections (a street-safety pilot initiative). The organization also maintains Wikiblock, an open-source design library of CNC-routable furniture and structures freely available to the public. Projects are delivered through workshops, volunteer engagement, and direct community activations. Together, these offerings form a layered ecosystem: process + portable toolkit + education + safety programs + open-source fabrication library + hands-on installation support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Better Block University (BBU): A leadership program designed to guide participants 18+ through community informed temporary transformations of spaces or streets, focused on tactical urbanism and public safety.
• Better Intersections
• Wikiblock
• Better Block in a Box

Products and services

• The Better Block Process A 120-day community-driven placemaking methodology that guides neighborhoods through a cycle of listening, prototyping, and learning to transform underutilized or blighted blocks into vibrant public spaces with pop-up businesses, bike lanes, cafe seating, and landscaping. Sold as a hired consulting engagement to neighborhoods, community organizations, and municipal governments.
• Better Block in a Box A custom-designed shipping container that delivers all elements needed for placemaking events—seating, string lights, shade structures, and play elements—and converts into a bar, check-in kiosk, or gallery space. Sold to communities and organizations that need a portable, ready-to-deploy placemaking toolkit.
• Better Block University (BBU) A four-month leadership program that teaches community members the Better Block methodology, covering design, community engagement, permitting, budgeting, and evaluation, and culminating in participants implementing their own placemaking project focused on public safety. Tuition is $5,000 per participant and includes four class days, BBU cohort access, 10 hours of one-on-one mentorship, and hotel costs for the in-person kickoff in Dallas.
• Better Intersections A program that enables neighborhoods and municipal governments to quickly pilot and evaluate low-cost safety interventions at selected intersections using quick-build demonstrations, gathering real-world data to inform permanent infrastructure investments. Each project costs $40,000.
• Wikiblock (Open-Source Design Library) An open-source design library of CNC-routable furniture and placemaking structures (benches, chairs, planters, stages, bus stops, kiosks, vendor tents) freely available for download, cut from plywood sheets, and assembled without glue or nails. Includes the Wikiblock Library (browseable design repository), Recipe Library (step-by-step installation guides for pop-up placemaking), and web-based Fabrication Help tools (Sheet Material & Finish Helper app and DXF Adjuster app). Free to download and use.
• Workshops Hands-on learning sessions where community members, leaders, and organizations explore placemaking strategies, design, and implementation alongside the Better Block team. Each workshop empowers communities to take action and create lasting change in their own spaces.

Quantifiable outcome

• 73% of temporary Better Block projects become permanent installations
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Downtown Dallas, Inc. (DDI)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025DDI partnered with Better Block to Activate Main Street during a major soccer event, transforming Downtown Dallas Main Street into a walkable, bikeable environment with vibrant community spaces.
• Kent State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Partnered with Kent State University's College of Architecture and Environmental Design class to test and develop Wikiblock elements during the Cuyahoga Falls Better Block project.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Project for Public Spaces: New York-based nonprofit founded in 1975 that pioneered the placemaking movement globally. Directly comparable to Better Block in mission, methodology, and consulting/training business model for community-driven public space activation.
• Kounkuey Design Initiative (KDI): Los Angeles-based nonprofit design collaborative focused on community-led design in under-resourced neighborhoods. Directly comparable in mission (equitable community development), participatory design methodology, and product offerings.
• 8 80 Cities: Toronto-based nonprofit focused on creating vibrant public spaces that work for both 8-year-olds and 80-year-olds. Directly comparable in placemaking mission, public space activation methodology, and educational programming.
• Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP): International nonprofit promoting sustainable and equitable urban transportation. Comparable in mission to enable walkable, bikeable cities, with overlapping Better Intersections and street-safety program scope.
• Gehl: Copenhagen-based urban design firm founded by Jan Gehl that pioneered people-centered public space design. Comparable in placemaking methodology, public life data collection, and consulting services for cities.
• Street Plans Collaborative: Miami- and New York-based urban planning, design, and advocacy firm co-founded by Mike Lydon, author of 'Tactical Urbanism.' Directly comparable in tactical urbanism methodology, quick-build pilot work, and street safety focus.
• Strong Towns: Nonprofit media and advocacy organization focused on incremental, bottom-up urban development. Comparable in grassroots placemaking philosophy and educational programming, though more media/advocacy oriented than project-implementation focused.

Emerging players

• Center for Active Design: New York-based nonprofit using design to promote healthy, active lifestyles in the built environment. Partially comparable in design-driven public space activation and municipal partnership focus, but with greater emphasis on health-outcome frameworks.
• Urbanism Next: University of Oregon-based research initiative focused on the intersection of autonomous vehicles, shared mobility, and urban design. Partially comparable in forward-looking urban design research and experimentation methodology.

Broad incumbents

• Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU): Established national membership organization advancing walkable urbanism through advocacy, education, and conferences. Operates as a broader umbrella organization rather than a direct implementation partner, but competes for the same foundation and policy ecosystem attention.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/thebetterblock
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC-SJVvBZhAY91KnMVgz0TVA/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/BetterBlock
• Instagraminstagram.com/betterblock
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/better-block-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Better Block