Tag Archives: Team Better Block

Better Block is Here: A Behind the Scenes Look (Part 2 of 2)

 

WelcomeOSsign

Better Block is Here: A Behind the Scenes Look
(Part 2 of 2)

Story By: Katie Cassaro

 

When thinking of great cities, places we’d like to travel and explore, they’re usually far away and require either a plane ticket or passport.

But what if we made our very own cities so exciting and full of life that we never wanted to leave?

The North Hill Community Leaders (NHCL) group and Better Block are doing this – revitalizing old buildings, planting trees and putting local food, art and culture on display.

It’s the idea TED introduced to the world and the North Hill community has been working on to create the ultimate place to live, work and play.

These unique transformations of cities are designed to allow them to fully blossom into their full potential as thriving places.

TinaUghrincloseup
Tina Ughrin

 

Open Streets Initiative

Tina Ughrin, North Hill resident and member of NHCL, hopes this isn’t just a passing story that fades within a feature story of the daily paper. She wants the stories to be shared of the day-in-day-out transformation and how they are getting to where they are going.

This includes the stages and happenings leading up to the ultimate change. One of which happened this past weekend – Better Block.

“(We want to) tell the stories of all the pieces leading up to it so that you’re building that anticipation for it,” Ughrin said of the transformation.

Ughrin has high hopes for the city.

entertainmentstage

 

 

Great Potential

Ughrin and others see the potential in North Hill, and all that it can become.

“I love the idea that you’ve got the burgeoning Arts District right across the bridge. There’s so much potential for a whole corridor of revitalization,” she said.

“Jason Roberts has become very enamored with North Hill and is looking at other ways to invest in it,” she continued.

Roberts is the Founder of Better Block, who shared his idea with the world at a TED conference.

OSYbridge

Excitement Growing

North Hill is an interesting place, and now people get to see and experience that through tours.

Their Market tours brought in 60 people the first time it was offered, mostly young professionals.

And they fill up quickly.

As a result of the tours, many young professionals have shown interest and gotten involved.

bbgroupsunday

Creating a Generous Community

“What was exciting to see on social media and I heard it from a lot of the young professionals that were on the tour was ‘It feels like we’re in a big city. I feel like I’m someplace else ‘cause we went to an African market, we went to a Nepalese market and to Redeemer Hill United Methodist Church’ which is an aging congregation and almost everyone’s over the age of seventy’,” Ughrin shared.   

There’s a Bhutanese Christian community, a large homeless ministry and a food and clothing giveaway that also draws in interest.

“The young professionals asked ‘How do we help out?’ And immediately, within that next week they did a clothing drive and dropped off as many clothes as possible. They asked Reverend Debbie, ‘What are you missing?’ ‘What do you not have?’ And they made sure it happened,’ Ughrin shared.

They also got a U-Haul and helped a woman move out of her house.

“It’s very much that millennial swoop in, take care of it,” Ughrin said.

OSfoodtrucks1

Building Up a Good Place

As momentum builds and people start to see change, Ughrin and her neighborhood hope to spark a change further than the corners of their block – beyond the streets of just their city. In North Hill and all over Akron.

“There’s a number of folks that are hoping to see North Hill as a pilot for doing it in other neighborhoods,” Ughrin said.

So maybe your block is next?

As for what needs to happen for our communities to continue to grow and flourish, Ughrin says “We really need to find champions in each of the neighborhoods.”

Whatwouldyoudosign

Are you that champion?

If you are interested in bringing this to your city, and finding out more about Better Block please visit: www.teambetterblock.com/akron/

What Better Block means for your neighborhood

Story by Chris Miller, The Akronist
CFcorner The intersection of North Main Street and Cuyahoga Falls Avenue
in North Hill will be the location of Akron’s
first Better Block event (Photo: Chris Miller)

 

By now, you’ve likely heard about the Better Block event that takes place next weekend in the North Hill neighborhood of Akron, but this program is much more than the sum of its parts. Better Block’s an exercise in civil disobedience and imagination. It’s also a look ahead at what a neighborhood could be. And while it’s happening in North Hill this time, it could happen in your neighborhood, too.

On May 15 through 17, the “Temple Square” block in North Hill (the intersection of Cuyahoga Falls Avenue and North Main Street) will be adorned with temporary landscaping, bicycle lanes and popup businesses in currently empty storefronts, along with live music, art, an open air market and a number of other attractions.

Continue reading

Better Block Coming to Akron Ohio

MainStinAkronPhoto of Main Street in Akron, Ohio by Flickr user Kevin T. Quinn.

 

Have you heard the term Better Block? It’s spreading fast here in Akron these days. Google “Better Block, Akron Ohio” and you’ll see nine different references.

The Better Block is a community development demonstration tool that uses grassroots efforts to show residents the potential to create a walkable, bikeable, lively, neighborhood center. The project helps residents envision “what could be,” with temporary “pop-up” businesses, bicycle lanes and pedestrian friendly design. Better Blocks are being performed in cities around the world, and have helped communities rapidly implement neighborhood improvements that can become permanent.

The Knight Foundation and Team Better Block have begun laying the groundwork for their first collaboration with the city of Akron. The North Hill neighborhood has been selected for the city’s first Better Block, and residents, business owners, and city staff have partnered to prepare the Temple Square block (Cuyahoga Falls Avenue and Main Street) for this transformation.
Continue reading