A "better block" is coming to a parking lot in southeast Dallas: Called Better Block Pleasant Grove, it's the latest project from The Better Block Foundation, a group that takes undervalued spaces and turns them into magical places.

The undervalued space they're reimagining here is a portion of the parking lot at the Bruton Masters Village Shopping Center at 2019 N. Masters Dr., located in District 5.

Better Block Executive Director Krista Nightengale says in a statement that this project represents a slight departure from what they usually do.

"Normally, when we’re tasked with reimagining a parking lot, we take a space and completely reallocate it from cars to people," Nightengale says. "In this one, we have the challenge of still allowing cars access to the space but making it more pedestrian friendly in general. We’re excited to see the possibilities!”

Better Block is working on this with District 5 Council Member Jaime Resendez, Dallas' Office of Economic Development, and the Inspired Vision Compassion Center.

Resendez says the project represents and is part of his overall plan for the area.

“This is an exciting project for District 5 as we continue to work to improve the Bruton Road/Masters Road area, building on the award-winning Smart City pilot project in the Red Cloud neighborhood," Resendez says. "Better Block is a non-profit organization dedicated to revitalizing blighted areas and building social infrastructure, and we are confident that reimagining part of the Inspired Vision Compassion Center parking lot to be family-friendly will help to foster a sense of community in the surrounding area."

Better Block Pleasant Grove is a tactical urbanism project whose mission is to show how unused/underutilized retail property, including parking lots, can be transformed from “space” into “a place” by installing vendors, outdoor seating, and other embellishments, with a goal of spurring revitalization.

Prior projects have included a street installation in Garland, a pop-up park at Forest Audelia Village in northeast Dallas, and a food park in Fair Park.

On this project, they're collaborating with Inspired Vision Compassion Center, a food bank that gives groceries to about 1,800 families each weekday, to put the community in the forefront of the process and guarantee that the community will bring the heart and soul to the demonstration.

The transformation will be unveiled on November 18. From November 15-18, participants will join in volunteer workshops involving painting, furniture assembly, and event setup. And then it's ta-da!