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Claremont, NH
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2026
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: The department will build a permanent pavilion with shade and seating at a popular park. This structure will provide older adults with a safe place to rest, cool off and gather during walks and community activities.
San Jose, CA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: The COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted the local economy in San Jose's Washington neighborhood. To help meet the community's needs, Veggielution hosted free arts and environmental education programming. The local nonprofit, which aims to connect people through food and farming, invited people to the SoFa pocket park, which the organization created on the site of an underused parking lot. Events included a monthly garden art workshop and live musical and theater performances by local arts organizations. Additionally, Veggielution worked with a local arts school to create a mural for the pocket park. The activities helped link residents to resources, such as food assistance and entrepreneurship training, and connected local nonprofit organizations to each other, creating a better web of support for the community.
Toa Baja, PR
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: This project will transform an underutilized area into a vibrant gathering spot with murals, solar LED lights, shade sails, and concrete planters.
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Las Cruces, NM
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Public art installations
Description: To strengthen community ties and reduce isolation among older adults, Cruces Creatives led a paint-by-numbers mural project in downtown Las Cruces. More than 600 residents, including nearly 200 people age 50-plus, helped transform a highly visible wall into an 1,800-square-foot work of art. The mural gives volunteers lasting pride and has prompted continued engagement with local programs. Integrated research will produce the first peer-reviewed study on participatory public art, shaping similar efforts elsewhere. One participant summed up the experience: "Being a team and working together to improve our city feels fulfilling."
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Las Cruces, NM
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Bikeability
Description: To make its downtown more bike-friendly, the Downtown Las Cruces installed 40 bike tacks. Based on feedback from the local cycling community, project organizers painted the racks racer green. Engagement with local business owners and volunteers determined the best locations to place the racks. In the future, Downtown Las Cruces expects placemaking efforts to continue with new shade sails. The City of Las Cruces also has plans for a new green path to facilitate biking and walking.
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