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City of Auburn (2023) Print
2023 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Transportation
└ Walkability
└ Walkability
High-speed corridors and limited accessibility made walking unsafe for older adults in Auburn, yet community input was missing from early design stages. The city organized walk audits where older residents and schoolchildren identified hazards and shared priorities for safer streets. The effort produced design data for two state-funded projects and a future funding request. One participant, who is legally blind, highlighted barriers during the walk, giving others firsthand insight into accessibility challenges and shaping plans for improvements.
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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Rochester, MN
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Walkability
Description: Sidewalks in one Rochester neighborhood lacked safe, walkable routes, putting pedestrians, especially older adults, at risk. To address this, the organization led 12 walk audits covering dozens of blocks, drawing a large group to identify hazards and assets. The effort demonstrated how audits could shape city planning and was incorporated into the sidewalk improvement process. It also sparked interest in expanding audits to other neighborhoods and transit projects, showing strong community engagement in creating safer, age-friendly streets.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Lincoln, NE
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Walkability
Description: Residents along Lincoln's 11th Street faced unsafe crossings and heavy traffic, leaving older adults and families vulnerable. Civic Nebraska organized six walk audits covering eight intersections, surveyed residents and hosted an open house with city staff to spotlight hazards. Volunteers, including older adults, gathered feedback that shaped the 11th Street Corridor Improvement plan. The effort forged a partnership with Lincoln Transportation & Utilities, ensuring future projects reflect lived experience and giving residents a stronger voice in street safety.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Baltimore, MD
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Walkability
Description: Older adults in Baltimore faced isolation and mobility challenges after the pandemic, compounded by unsafe walking conditions near community spaces. To address this, the organization hosted three walk audits and a health expo focused for older adults, reducing transportation barriers and drawing nearly 100 participants. Feedback revealed hazards like uneven curbs and poor drainage, while the project introduced a toolkit that empowered attendees to spot safety issues. These efforts informed proposals for traffic calming and accessibility upgrades and set the stage for ongoing wellness symposiums that keep older adults engaged and connected.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Raymond, ME
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: The Raymond Village Library hoped to create an accessible community amenity to foster intergenerational relationships. So they worked to create a community garden. Volunteers installed benches, shade structures and solar lighting, as well as a graded path and waist-high planters designed to be accessible for gardeners with disabilities. To make garden upkeep easier, they also added rain barrels and a drip irrigation system.
Casco, ME
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: Loon Echo worked to remove barriers that kept many older adults from safely accessing outdoor spaces. The group built a 0.6-mile crushed-gravel loop trail to federal accessibility standards and added ADA-compliant benches, creating a close-to-town option for recreation through open fields and forest. The project also became home to a Story Walk developed with the local library. After construction, a couple using mobility devices walked the new trail and shared their appreciation. The trail expanded access to nature for older adults and set a model for future efforts to improve outdoor accessibility in the region.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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