AARP Hearing Center
AARP Livable Communities Map
Atlanta Downtown Improvement District (2021) Print
2021 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Public space activation
└ Public space activation
Woodruff Park's game cart allows visitors to borrow games, sports equipment and other recreation items at no charge. To improve the kiosk's appearance and attract visitors, the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District partnered with local graphic design students to create highly visible decals. They also used checkerboard decals to convert round park tables into game tables. Finally, the organization purchased new supplies for the game cart, including coloring books, watercolor paint kits and markers and crayons. Following the improvements, the BID used the tabled to host chess tournaments, which attracted new visitors to the park.
Photo Gallery
Image:
Click on a photo to learn more
See More Projects Like This One
Boston, MA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: To encourage walking, Boston installed benches in Main Street neighborhood districts across the city. Older adults tested and approved the benches and worked with the City to identify the best locations for them. The initiative's guiding principle was that making walking safe and comfortable for older adults creates a better environment for people of all ages. Project organizers report residents were eager to use the new benches. In fact, as Department of Public Works staff were finishing up an installation, a few people were often waiting to take a seat. The benches contribute to vibrant public spaces near businesses and merchants say they appreciate the increased foot traffic. Project organizers say the installations helped develop a city-wide framework for a sustainable bench program, addressing installation and long-term maintenance.
Fairfield, WA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: A split-level design left the church basement and kitchen off-limits to older adults and people with mobility challenges, limiting access to meals and classes. The church upgraded electrical systems, lighting and appliances, then hosted a Fiesta Gratitude Dinner for 89 residents, most age 50-plus. Volunteers led planning and preparation, sparking renewed engagement among older members. These improvements set the stage for more inclusive meals and cooking classes, reducing isolation and sharing skills like food preservation to strengthen community ties.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Athens, AL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: The project addressed long-standing accessibility issues at the farmers market, where older adults often struggled with heavy tables and low seating that made it difficult to rest or enjoy live music and social time. Age-friendly furnishings, including higher-seated chairs and a wheelchair-accessible table, created a gathering area that welcomed patrons who previously avoided the space. The improvements allowed more people to stay longer, enjoy food and music and reconnect with friends without physical strain. As one visitor said, "I love these walk-in tables... I can actually get in and out of them so easy," while another noted how much easier it was to rise from the taller chairs.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Atlanta, GA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Reconnect Communities
Description: The City of Atlanta Department of City Planning created a storytelling effort to bring older adults lived experience into conversations about past infrastructure decisions. In neighborhoods affected by highway construction and urban renewal, many residents felt their memories were missing from how the city planned its future. The project hosted oral history workshops at recreation centers, using a porch style setting that made it easier for older adults to share personal stories. Participants recorded reflections on loss, resilience and neighborhood life, forming the foundation of a public archive. A digital story map paired these voices with historical research. Residents said the work helped them feel seen and acknowledged by the city. The growing archive is now informing planners and community members as discussions continue about reconnecting divided areas. The project also set the stage for continued story collection through a broader oral history network.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Atlanta, GA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018
Project Category: Accessory dwelling units, tiny homes and manufactured housing
Description: To educate the public about options to age in place, MicroLife Institute created a 4-minute informational video on accessory dwelling units -- small dwellings built on a property alongside a preexisting single-family home. The video features firsthand accounts of what it's like to live in or build an ADU. For Katharine Connell, a young Atlanta mother and homeowner, an ADU means multi-generational housing for her aging mother. My mom and I have always been very close, she tells viewers. For others in the video, renting out an ADU led to supplemental income or provided tenants with more affordable option, helping them remain in their neighborhood. Organizers say they hope the video serves as a tool to mobilize residents to demand their local commissions permit more housing options, including ADUs.
LEARN MORE AND STAY INFORMED
Find articles and resources about making communities more livable for people of all ages
Download or order free publications from AARP Livable Communities
Sign up for the free, weekly, award-winning AARP Livable Communities eNewsletter
Don't see your community listed?
LEARN HOW IT CAN JOIN THE NETWORKConnect with your AARP State Office
AARP has offices in all 50 states as well as in the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
AARP Georgia State Office
999 Peachtree Street NE
Suite 1110
Atlanta, GA 30309
United States