JASON ROBERTS
The UP Experience is pleased to welcome Jason Roberts, co-founder of the Better Block project. During his UP presentation, “Creating Urban Interventions – Community Crowd Sourcing”, Jason will explain how he has helped revitalize and transform distressed neighborhoods in major cities across the country.
Inspired by the warmth and beauty of the plazas throughout Italy, Jason’s wanted to build a legacy in his own hometown. Pooling resources of local artists, business owners, restaurants, landscapers, and more, Jason and his co-founder were able to re-vision the area and show the potential to create an inviting and vibrant neighborhood center. In one day, Jason and his team converted the neighborhood into an exciting environment attracting thousands of residents and giving a long-term economic boost to the area. The success of the endeavor led to the founding of the Better Block project in 2010, and the organization and its nationwide accomplishments have been featured in The New York Times and The Washington Post, on National Public Radio, and more.
In 2011, the American Society of Landscape Architects bestowed a National Honor Award to Team Better Block, while heralding the Better Block project as “a 21st-century version of what the Chicago World’s Fair did in 1893.”
To learn more about Jason Roberts and the incredible strides he’s made giving distressed urban areas a shot of B-12, sign UP today for our October 25th event.