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Camden Community Partnership (2022) Print
2022 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Transportation
└ Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
└ Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
Residents faced dangerous conditions near the new waterfront park, where missing crosswalks and poor bike lane design made access unsafe for pedestrians and cyclists, including older adults. Camden Community Partnership restriped State Street and Harrison Avenue, installed over 300 bike delineators, curb ramps and flashing bike signs, and added a bus stop bench. These changes slowed traffic and improved visibility while prompting plans for permanent upgrades. As one parent noted, "It will definitely help my kids get to the new 60-acre park to ride the trails."
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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Morris Plains, NJ
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
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Birmingham, AL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
Description: In recent years, Birmingham's historic 4th Avenue Business District recently earned a designation as a National Monument for Civil Rights. Organizers hoped to help residents and visitors safely explore the neighborhood on foot. First, organizers conducted a walk audit to evaluate the area's pedestrian infrastructure and identify ways to improve walkability. They then worked with an artist to design pavement murals for each corner of a busy intersection, which volunteers helped paint on the pavement. The colorful sidewalk bulbouts make the crosswalk more visible to drivers, increasing pedestrian safety. Each mural pays tribute to the area's culture and history. Organizers say the placemaking effort also supports wider downtown revitalization plans. The area -- which is home to many Black-owned businesses -- hosts outdoor activities in the summer, including music and arts programming and community service days.
Fort Wayne, IN
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017
Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
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Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Camden, NJ
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: A vacant lot on North Camden's waterfront was unappealing and attracted illegal dumping. The Camden Community Partnership decided to give the lot new life by turning it into a gathering space for residents of all ages. As part of larger efforts to activate the space, the Partnership commissioned a local artist to create a mural onsite. The artist asked older adults questions about their community and used their responses to inform the mural's design, which volunteers helped paint onto a nearby building. Since its completion, project organizers say the mural has served as a model for other local public art projects, with three additional murals in the works. The new greenspace has also tied into other community building work, including development of trail along the Delaware and Cooper Rivers.
Camden, NJ
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Public art installations
Description: This project will support the Golden Brush Collective's creation of a mural in Camden's Centerville neighborhood in order to celebrate the area's cultural history and engage residents in the design process.
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