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Citizens for Modern Transit (2022) Print
2022 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Public space activation
└ Public space activation
The North Hanley Transit Center had long lacked seating, shade and visual appeal, creating an unwelcoming environment for riders. The project added benches with backs and armrests, canopies, colorful pavement art and murals, along with updated shelters and wayfinding. These improvements made the station more comfortable and inviting, and have prompted further investment and discussions of large-scale development. As one transit operator noted, "This station looks fresh and inviting. The seats are great and riders seem so much happier."
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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Washington, DC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: The Well at Oxon Run, a 1.5-acre farm, outdoor classroom and community space, has been a huge asset for the Congress Heights neighborhood. The Well, however, lacked a waterproof, covered area for events and classes. DC Greens added a roof to the Well's wood-framed pavilion, creating a comfortable venue that is usable year-round. Following the roof's installation, the space has hosted yoga, chi gong and body therapy classes, as well as community drum circles and other events.
Seymour, IN
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: In a neighborhood where many older adults face food insecurity and health risks, pantry visitors often waited outside for hours without shelter, sometimes leading to medical emergencies. The project installed a permanent awning to provide protection and dignity, added a mural to brighten the space and foster pride and distributed Spanish-language outreach cards to connect residents with services. These changes made waiting safer and encouraged more people to seek help. "On really busy days, if it were raining, we wouldn't even attend... now we feel comfortable," said one couple.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Albany, GA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: Many communities in Lee County lacked accessibility features and infrastructure to bring residents together. To address this, the Southwest Georgia Regional Commission installed recreational equipment, outdoor art and other amenities in several municipalities. In Albany, the Commission commissioned a large sculpture of a turtle to compliment the town's other public art installations. In Leesburg, it installed park benches and message boards in the community's nature park, which joined outdoor games and cedar benches purchased by the local housing authority. And in Thomasville, the Commission created a pop-up porch, which extends useable sidewalk space into on-street parking spaces. The portable porch can be transported, reconfigured and installed in different locations, allowing residents to gather for conversation and events. The popularity of the parklet inspired a local arts organization to install their own portable porches for its annual art exhibition.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
St. Louis, MO
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017
Project Category: Engaging people in transportation options/safety
Description: To showcase possible long-term upgrades to the North Hanley light rail station in Cansonville, Mo., Citizens for Modern Transit held a pop-up festival. The event prioritized community engagement, giving participants several ways to share their ideas. The St. Louis County Department of Planning invited attendees to use Lego bricks to build a model of amenities they hoped to see at the station. People recorded themselves sharing their vision for the site at a self-expression stop. Visitors could also write their ideas on a large banner. To help inspire people, the event showcased murals created by a local artist. The feedback gathered during the event informed permanent changes. Today, visitors to the site will find new seating and shade structures, as well as murals painted on the pavement. The theme for that transformation is Transit: We All Ride Together. And since 2017, Citizens for Modern Transit has gone on to improve several other transit stops in the St. Louis region.
East St. Louis, IL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: As part of its efforts to boost public transit use and spart economic development around transit stations, Citizens for Modern Transit activated the Emerson Park light rail and bus station in East St. Louis. To choose a theme for the station and ensure the new amenities would meet the community's needs, project organizers held design workers and other community engagement events. They then installed new seating, shade structures and a sound system to pipe music into the space. A local artist collaborated with community members to create pavement art and a mural, which pay tribute to the area's musical history. Organizers say they hope the new space promotes creative play, cultivates community and encourages people to ride public transit.
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