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The Center for Planning Excellence (2022) Print
2022 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Public space activation
└ Public space activation
This project drafted plans to convert two vacant, city-owned lots into pocket parks.
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Columbia, SC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: The City of Columbia set out to provide outdoor seating along Main Street, an area that attracts pedestrians and hosts events that draw visitors from the surrounding region. Project organizers say that people now have a spot to work on their laptops, enjoy a cup of coffee or take in a meal from nearby food trucks. Although staff originally removed and stored the tables at the end of each day, their popularity spurred the City to leave them out permanently. And when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the colorful tables and chairs provided residents with a safe space to gather outside. Because the seating is heavily used, the City has explored more ways to provide seating on Main Street.
Arthurdale, WV
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: This project will add outdoor amenities near several historic buildings dating to the 1930s. Improvements will include sidewalk repairs and the addition of benches, trash bins, a bike rack and a dog waste station.
Center Harbor, NH
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: The project will transform the library greenspace into a safer, more accessible area for Center Harbors older adults, friends, families, and visitors. It will include picnic tables, umbrellas, and Adirondack chairs to encourage socializing, picnicking, reading, and enjoying nature.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Ville Platte, LA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Public art installations
Description: The Tee Cotton Bowl is an annual high school football game -- and week-long event -- that promotes racial reconciliation. As part of local revitalization efforts, the Acosta Foundation engaged a team of multigenerational volunteers to create a 100-foot-long mural as a symbol of the community coming together. A small, landscaped seating area allows visitors to enjoy the artwork, with LED lighting illuminating the mural. Volunteers hailed from all parts of the city and worked on all elements of the project, from cleaning the wall to hosting a celebratory party during the Bowl. The project's success sparked creation of another mural on the grounds of Ville Platt's city hall.
Opelousas, LA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Accessibility of amenities
Description: The City of Opelousas had no accessible seating outdoor seating in its downtown. So City officials set out to create comfortable, wheelchair-accessible gathering places, creating a more welcoming Main Street for older adults with mobility challenges. They installed ADA-compliant rest areas with benches and picnic tables at several downtown locations, including the farmers market, the local courthouse and the public library.
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