Richmond, VA

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: To increase residents' access to outdoor greenspace and bolster the local economy, Richmond Venture created the Brooklyn Park Boulevard parklet. Located in a primarily Black-owned business corridor, the mini-park sites in the footprint of an on-street parking space. Volunteers outfitted the space with seating and tables, giving visitors a place to relax and socialize. Organizers say the space encourages residents to purchase food and beverages from nearby restaurants, which they can eat onsite. To encourage people to visit, Venture Richmond also installed a bike rack nearby.

Cuba City, WI

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: For more than ten years, Cuba City's planning documents promised an intergenerational gathering space downtown. This project made good on that promise, converting a gravel parking lot into a gathering space. Organizers hoped the Presidential Plaza Project would increase walkability and draw traffic to Cuba City's Main Street business district. To activate the space, volunteers installed a bike rack, outdoor games and picnic tables with umbrellas for shade. A Wi-Fi hotspot provides free internet access for visitors. To beautify the area, residents painted a large mural on the pavement, which pays tribute to frontline workers' contributions during the COVID-19 pandemic. A later addition to the mural depicts the Mississippi river and includes an area for visitors to play hopscotch.

Hot Springs, AR

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: This project activated a space along Malvern Avenue, allowing visitors to enjoy a new mural paying tribute to cultural history. To showcase the mural, the City added a new sidewalk, greenery, iron sculptures and a music-themed bench nearby. The work was among the first reinvestments in an area that was known from the 1930s to 1960s as Black Broadway -- home to entertainment venues which hosted performances by legendary musicians, including Count Basie, Duke Ellington and B.B. King. Since its completion, the space -- which the City named Henry Glover Place -- has helped spark further revitalization. The City undertook four other neighborhood improvement projects nearby, including upgrades to a parking lot, new landscaping and building restorations. The City plans to make additional streetscape improvements in the future.