For a very long time, Streetfilms has wanted to profile Jason Roberts and the amazing work of The Better Block. It was destiny that a few weeks ago we were able to sync up to be present for the fourth anniversary of The Better Block in Oak Cliff. This temporary pedestrian plaza was adjacent to the site where they first debuted their innovative ideas to change a street.
You’ll see some of the behind-the-scenes set up and preparation. But I already know the visuals people will be talking about most is their transformation of a dangerous intersection in to a safer one using only temporary materials – especially a really inventive way of re-purposing decals as crosswalks!
In fact, re-imagining sidewalk amenities seems to be a new trend in the complete streets world. In San Francisco, the Castro nabe will be getting some rainbow crosswalks. And in Hawaii, with a little overnight moxie, an anonymous person (persons? group?) altered the bars on crosswalks to read “aloha”.
The Better Block has inspired dozens of similar projects around the world. For a map of their work and impact, see this map.
–STREETFILMS on Vimeo
Tags: Castro, Dallas, Jason Roberts, Pedestrian, Streetfilms, Texas, The Better Block, TX, Video, Vimeo
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