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Black Cornerstones (2024) Print
2024 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Transportation
└ Walk Audits
└ Walk Audits
Unsafe sidewalks and crossings near 87th and Stony Island left older adults hesitant to walk and feeling isolated. Black Cornerstones audited 253 intersections, gathered resident stories and launched the Reimagine Stony Campaign. The effort produced a detailed walk plan, formed a walking club and hosted a block party to share findings. These steps sparked ongoing safety improvements and inspired similar efforts in other neighborhoods. One participant, age 84, said, "I used to be afraid to walk around my block, but now I feel safe and connected to my neighbors."
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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Berkley, MI
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Walk Audits
Description: Downtown Berkley's main corridor lacked safe, walkable routes for older adults, even near age-restricted housing, limiting social connection and daily well-being. To address this, the agency led walk audits along Coolidge during a popular Halloween event, engaging residents and collecting feedback on sidewalks and crossings. Surveys highlighted ideas for streetscape upgrades during planned road reconstruction. The audits advanced dialogue on walkability and influenced city planning. One older adult shared, "When the weather is good and I get to walk through downtown my day instantly gets better. There are a lot of friends I get to see in different shops and on the street."
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
San Francisco, CA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Walk Audits
Description: San Francisco's Little Chinatown corridor lacked safe, accessible infrastructure for pedestrians, leaving older adults and people with disabilities at risk. The project conducted three walk audits with volunteers and local officials, documenting hazards and gathering input from business owners and parents. Findings highlighted needs for stop signs, improved bus stops and accessibility upgrades. A local business owner stated that these infrastructure improvements will increase safety and access. The audits sparked plans for placemaking improvements, including safety bollards and street art.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Wake Forest, NC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Walk Audits
Description: Older residents faced safety and mobility challenges when walking through town, including missing sidewalk connections and obstacles that made short trips less predictable. These gaps limited independence for older adults and others with physical challenges, especially near housing, schools and shopping areas. The Town of Wake Forest addressed the issue by conducting a series of walk audits in different parts of town, starting downtown. Older volunteers documented barriers and identified specific improvements needed to make walking safer and more continuous. Findings were compiled into a presentation for planning staff and elected officials. One audit revealed a sidewalk that stopped short of connecting affordable housing to nearby shops, forcing residents to walk in traffic. That example helped inform discussions tied to the Age-Friendly Action Plan and future decisions about sidewalk connectivity and pedestrian investment.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Chicago, IL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
Description: Busy intersections along 79th Street posed serious safety risks for pedestrians, including older adults, in one of Chicago's high-crash corridors. To slow traffic and improve visibility, the initiative installed colorful pavement art at key crossings and trained local youth to assist with the work, giving them new trade skills. Residents say the redesigned intersections feel safer and easier to navigate. The project is expected to reduce pedestrian accidents and has sparked plans for similar improvements along the corridor, reinforcing efforts to make the area safer and more vibrant.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Chicago, IL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: A six-block stretch along a busy bus route lacked benches, leaving older adults without a place to rest while waiting for transit. The council installed a hexagonal tree bench near a major stop, offering shaded seating where none existed before. Volunteers assembled and maintain the bench as part of park cleanups. "They were amazed that anyone had thought to provide this welcome addition," said a volunteer, reflecting community gratitude. The bench now offers a permanent, comfortable spot for community members to wait for buses or enjoy the park.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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