A Better Block

In October (2012) a group of innovative minds in Kansas City decided to create an ideal city block. They got the idea from Jason Roberts, who gave a TEDx talk in early 2012 on the subject.

“Better blocks” have been happening all over the United States. Here at home, it was on Grand Avenue in downtown Kansas City just before dark on a cool October day . There were bike lines going in both directions (and lots of bikers),  temporary tree installations, landscaped bulb-outs, and pop-up vendors of all kinds.

While I offered plenty of art for sale, the most popular art were the pieces I traded for a dance dare (dance behind someone without them knowing). The college students loved this, and got their friends in on it. Some people wanted to do it more than once. And my favorite people were the ones who took the dare just for the fun of doing it.