Building a Better Neighborhood

In this episode of The Intelligent Community, ICF co-founder Lou Zacharilla speaks with Krista Nightengale, Executive Director at the Better Block Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to showing communities how to build a more walkable, bikeable, liveable neighborhood to improve quality of life and attract talent.

Krista Nightengale is the Executive Director of the Better Block Foundation. She began her career at the city magazine in Dallas where she served as Managing Editor, Executive Director of a leadership group aimed at empowering citizens to take action, and Executive Director of a literacy nonprofit that united the city in reading together. She then served as Chief of Staff of the Coalition for a New Dallas, an advocacy organization aimed at reconnecting neighborhoods. Krista then helped launch Dallas Innovates, a news site that promotes Dallas-Fort Worth as a hub of innovation. While covering the city, Krista became intrigued by the built environment. She joined the Better Block Foundation to help with its growth, spread its story, and make the world a little better by showing communities how wonderful walkable/bikeable districts are. So far, she has worked with 75 cities around the world.

Krista was named to the Dallas Business Journal's 40 Under 40 2022, is an AIA Dallas and TxA Honorary Member, a graduate of 2016 Leadership Texas and was a core team member working with United Way on #GivingTuesday. She writes pieces for various outlets including D Magazine, the Dallas Morning News, Dallas Innovates, and others. She is appointed to the Comprehensive Land Use Plan Committee for Dallas, is a steering committee member for Big D Reads 2022, board member of Philanthropy Kids, past president of the Dallas Center for Architecture, former AIA board member, City Lab High School Foundation board member, a member of the Communities Foundation of Texas Emerging Leaders in Philanthropy, a former TEDxSMU steering committee member, former Dallas Police Department Community Advisory Board, former executive board member of the New Leaders Council, and former member of the Dallas Commission on Homelessness. She often appears as a panelist or moderator discussing urban design, politics, housing issues, and activism. She was named to DCEO's 500 in 2022 and 2023.