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Ralston, NE
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2026
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: Accessible terraces and new benches will be added near a busy intersection and Memorial Plaza. The seating areas will make it easier for people with mobility needs to attend events and gather comfortably while honoring service members.
Grand Rapids, MI
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: Faded sidewalk art along Plainfield Avenue made the corridor less inviting and harder to navigate, especially for older adults. To restore visibility and improve walkability, the group revitalized nearly one mile of sidewalks with new designs featuring wayfinding elements. Three volunteer painting days engaged residents of all ages, using adaptive tools so everyone could participate. The refreshed sidewalks now guide pedestrians to shops and public spaces, while the collaborative process strengthened intergenerational ties and sparked a sense of ownership that supports future placemaking efforts.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Spearfish, SD
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2026
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: New trails near Spearfish Canyon will be enhanced with benches, rest areas, kiosks and clear signage. Free “Learn to Ride” clinics will invite residents and older adults to enjoy safer, more accessible outdoor activities.
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Columbus, OH
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Public place improvements to withstand extreme weather events
Description: To reduce the urban heat island effect, Friends of the lower Olentangy Watershed planted large canopy trees at an elementary school playground and near a housing complex. The area has traditionally lacked tree cover, with the nearby properties having the least canopy cover of any residential area in the local watershed. The new trees increased the local canopy from 7 percent to 22 percent -- the average for Columbus as a whole. Volunteers -- including local Scouts -- helped plant the trees. In addition, project organizers installed benches at the playground to provide a respite to teachers, children and families using the playground equipment.
Columbus, OH
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: The International Harvest Garden lacked shade and seating, leaving gardeners age 50-plus and families without a comfortable place to rest or gather. The project added a picnic table with side access for mobility aids, a shade trellis and improved walkways for easier navigation. These upgrades will support cultural events and reduce isolation, with volunteers saying the changes will make the garden "a sanctuary as well as a place of growth and education."
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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