After spending a few weeks in Austin, I went on a tour of the town like a tourist with a friend from out of town. We started off walking around the State Capital building grounds and took pictures of the building and commemorative statues placed across the grounds. After the self-guided Capital grounds walk, we hopped on an AO Tours guided van ride across the popular spots in downtown and looping through the western hill country.

This was my first Home and Garden Show I attended after moving to Austin! Overall, it was a great time getting to peruse the sea of vendors and exhibitors. However, they were mainly centered around homeowners with products and services for roofs, gutters, lawns, water heaters, and potential solar panels.

What I enjoyed most at this Home and Garden Show were the Tiny Houses and Container Build-outs, as well as the local artisanal crafts and forged metal products. I also really enjoyed meeting the Lettuce Grow team! They’re a vertical smart planter made of recycled ocean plastics!

One of the organizations I became a fan of in Dallas was The Better Block, “a 501(c)3 nonprofit that educates, equips, and empowers communities and their leaders to reshape and reactivate built environments to promote the growth of healthy and vibrant neighborhoods.”

What attracted me to this organization was their guerilla-style local community impact, its architectural applications, and how it shared unlimited creativity similar to 3D printing. One of Better Block’s tenants is placemaking and when you can build a sense of community out of a barren parking lot – it’s truly the definition of placemaking!

It’s a special organization that I want to highlight, in hopes that it can inspire you and other in your community.