Ashland, WI

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: A survey showed residents in Ashland wanted more outdoor seating in the city's downtown. As part of larger efforts to revitalize the commercial district the City worked with Ashland Main Street to install decorative benches. The City engaged teams of artists -- including college students and staff from the local food co-op -- to design artwork for the seating. Then, with the help of volunteers, project organizers then installed one bench on every block of Ashland's nine-block commercial area. Each depicts imagery related to the community's identity, including scenes from local history or ecology. Paying homage to nearby Lake Superior, several benches have a water theme. Project organizers say Ashland is known as the mural capital of Wisconsin, and the benches work with other public art installations to draw people to visit downtown.

Cut Bank, MT

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: This project will create a 1.4-mile paved, ADA-compliant path connecting the City of Cut Bank to the School Districts Sports Complex and Glacier Historical Museum. It aims to provide a safe walking route for pedestrians.

Bowman, ND

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: This project transformed a vacant lot on Bowman's Main Street into a community garden and pocket park. The Bowman County Development Corporation activated the space by adding accessible seating, an outdoor dining area, flowerpots and a shade structure. Residents of the small town were encouraged to get involved by laying pavers and planting grass, while a sign at the garden's entrance invites visitors to pull a weed or two and enjoy the fresh produce. Since the improvements, other local organizations have added to the garden, installing bike racks and a self-watering plot showcasing native plants.