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1159 South Community Development Corporation (2020) Print
2020 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Public space activation
└ Public space activation
As part of wider corridor improvement efforts, the 1159 Southwest Community Development Corporation activated three vacant lots, transforming them into a public gathering space dubbed Grand Harmony. Volunteers installed porch swings, picnic tables, benches and a new grill at the site. They also added LED lighting and a storage shed. Project organizers say Grand Harmony's success has opened doors for other revitalization efforts. In December 2020, a local foundation provided 1159 South Community Development Corporation with funding to activate a nearby vacant lot into an inspiration garden.
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Albuquerque, NM
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Public space activation
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Roswell, NM
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Public space activation
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Pawtucket, RI
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: To enable older adults to exercise, socialize and enjoy nature, Pawtucket's Division of Senior Services created an outdoor activity center at Leon Mathieu Senior Center. They installed seating, planters and two large outdoor tabletop game stations. Project organizers also created an age-friendly playground for low-impact exercise, adding fitness and recreational equipment. The Senior Center provides services and programs for adults 55 and older and aims to encourage healthy aging and keep older residents connected to the community.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
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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