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Age-Friendly Communities of the Lower Kennebec with City of Bath (2021) Print
2021 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Public space activation
└ Public space activation
Organizers with Age-Friendly Communities of Lower Kennebec and City of Bath hoped to create inclusive public spaces for residents of all ages to enjoy. They worked with students to install outdoor chess and checkers tables at a new downtown plaza and a near a local assisted living facility. The tables are ADA accessible include benches designed for people of all ages and abilities. A spectator bench allows onlookers to take a seat and watch the players. To ensure all community members can play, game sets are available for loan at the local library and nearby businesses.
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Kennett Square, PA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: With the goal of supporting small businesses downtown, this project created the first parklet in Kennett Square. Before installing the mini-park, only one side of the borough's main street featured wide sidewalks and could be closed to vehicles on the weekends. Project organizers hoped to expand the space available for outdoor dining and gathering. To do this, the Historic Kennett Square repurposed three on-street parking spaces, installing deck flooring, adding overhead string lights and setting out picnic tables and planters. Four restaurants -- two coffee shops and two restaurants -- used the space. Volunteers designed the parklet be torn down ahead of the winter months and set back up in the spring. Project organizers say the parklet helped demonstrate the value of placemaking projects.
Rapid City, SD
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: To increase awareness of the local book club and other community activities, NeighborWorks designed and installed 30 flags in the North Rapid neighborhood. A local artists created designs for the flags and residents worked together to approve wording for each one. Volunteers then installed flags on utility poles throughout the neighborhood. Project organizers say that since the flags appeared, local groups have received inquiries about how to become more involved in local activities.
Gooding, ID
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: The Gooding Public Library Foundation converted an unused area of West Park into a community commons. Located near Gooding's library, city hall and police station, the site now features accessible picnic tables, shade canopies and lidded trash cans. The library now uses the site for a variety of activities, including story time and science experiments. Library patrons, workers on lunch break and other community members also gather in the space. The library now plans to install a little free library in the park.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Bath, ME
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Accessory dwelling units, tiny homes and manufactured housing
Description: Bath faced rising housing costs and limited options for older adults, especially those with fixed incomes. The coalition partnered with the city and housing agencies to launch a public education campaign on accessory dwelling units (ADUs), creating a toolkit, videos, social media content and presentations. More than 200 residents attended sessions explaining ADU benefits, design and approval processes. The campaign sparked interest in building ADUs, with one participant noting it offered "a way to build a smaller accessible unit for myself and rent my primary home," expanding housing choices for residents.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Sagadahoc, ME
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Disaster Preparedness
Description: Older adults across several communities expressed fear and uncertainty about emergencies, with many lacking preparedness plans or clear information about local resources. Age-Friendly Communities of the Lower Kennebec hosted six listening sessions where participants shared experiences and concerns about disasters. The conversations emphasized communication, evacuation routes and the importance of checking on neighbors. These led to increased signups for the county emergency notification system. By partnering with county emergency management and centering older adults voices, the project energized communities to begin developing local response plans and laid the groundwork for coordinated preparedness efforts.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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