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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.
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San Diego, CA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: This project helped transform a vacant lot in San Diego's City Heights neighborhood into a vibrant gathering space for residents of all ages. To encourage community members of the dense, diverse neighborhood to connect with each other, the Community Development Corporation installed art at the new public space. Since this activation, the space continues to provide a spot for artists to display their work. Project organizers say although the installation was intended to be temporary, it reinforced the value of creating similar community spaces in the future.
Kansas City, KS
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: Kansas City's Rosedale neighborhood has lacked a community center for some time, so the Rosedale Development Association renovated and reopened a community meeting space. They added flooring, a barrier-free threshold to provide easy access for people with mobility limitations and a wall anchor system for displaying art and historical artifacts The space now hosts community events, including coffee and conversation meet-ups, adult education classes, yoga sessions and youth activities.
Dade City, FL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: Community parks lacked ADA-compliant picnic tables, leaving older adults and families without safe, comfortable places to gather. Responding to resident requests, the city installed 10 sturdy tables with signage and concrete pads across multiple parks, creating accessible spaces for rest and celebration. These upgrades encourage older adults to spend more time outdoors, walk to parks and connect with loved ones. Residents shared excitement on social media, saying they plan to visit more often now that seating is available, making Dade City parks more inviting for people of all ages.
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.
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