AARP Hearing Center
AARP Livable Communities Map
See More Projects Like This One
Dallas, TX
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Transportation Systems Change
Description: Better Block Foundation tackled unsafe streets and missing sidewalks in Dallas, where older adults lacked accessible spaces to gather. The team installed an ADA ramp, added benches at bus stops and introduced speed bumps near a food bank serving 1,800 families. Volunteers transformed a parking lot into a shaded seating area and created market stall designs for future use. The effort prompted city discussions on street redesign and tree planting. As one partner said about the speed bumps, "We are so grateful... It's very dangerous. We have needed them for a long time."
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Cincinnati, OH
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Transportation Systems Change
Description: Transportation barriers limit independence for older adults in southwestern Ohio. To improve access, COA launched the Passenger Portal, enabling online trip booking and management. The rollout included tutorial videos, a direct mail campaign to 35,000 residents and five outreach events. Early adoption brought 61 registered users and 187 free rides. One caller shared how the service let her brother join Thanksgiving dinner, calling it a "sense of independence" that strengthened family ties. The portal now offers a lasting tool for autonomy and efficiency in specialized transportation.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
McLoud, OK
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Transportation Systems Change
Description: Older adults in the tribe faced isolation and limited mobility in a rural area with few transportation options. To reconnect tribal elders with cultural traditions and community life, the tribe organized trips, including transportation for 52 participants to the Meskwaki Powwow and a community viewing of Killers of the Flower Moon. These events revived cherished traditions and strengthened social ties. "Without this... I would not have been able to take a trip and see my old friends in Iowa," one elder said. The project prompted policy changes to fund future trips and inspired similar efforts by neighboring tribes.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Red Bank, NJ
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Improved wayfinding
Description: Officials with the Borough of Red Bank hoped to encourage residents and visitors to walk. To do this, the Borough launched Destination Red Bank, an initiative to add wayfinding signage to local streets. The Borough installed decals to the sidewalk, each displaying a QR code. When passersby scan the code with their smartphones, they can access information about local attractions, including directions to reach them by foot. Additionally, the Borough created a parklet -- a mini-part that sits in the footprint of a parking space. They outfitted the downtown gathering space with a picnic table and native plants to give pedestrians and cyclists a place to rest. Project organizers say they will continue to look for innovative ways to make Red Bank more walkable in the future.
Hamilton, NJ
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Housing Choice Design Competitions
Description: Many older adults in New Jersey want to remain in their communities but face a shortage of housing that is affordable, accessible and suited to changing mobility needs. Much of the state's housing stock is older and multi story, limiting realistic options for residents who want to downsize or age in place. New Jersey Advocates for Aging Well addressed this challenge by hosting a statewide housing design competition focused on practical, age-friendly models, including accessory dwelling units, single family and multi family homes. A volunteer panel of architects and housing experts reviewed submissions and selected winning designs that demonstrated how accessibility and affordability could be achieved within existing communities. The resulting report provided concrete examples that communities could use in local discussions.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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 New Jersey State Office
303 George Street
Suite 505
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
United States