See More Projects Like This One

Del Norte, CO

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2026

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: Benches and wellness stations will be added along an existing walking route. The enhancements will support rest, movement and social connection outdoors.

Bethany, OK

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2026

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: The city will add benches, shade structures and bleachers near pickleball courts in a public park. These features will provide older adults with comfortable places to rest, watch games and spend more time outdoors with others.

New Ulm, MN

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: Downtown Action Team partnered with Minnesota Main Street to encourage residents of all ages to come downtown, walk down main street and learn about local history. To encourage socializing, they rearranged underutilized benches downtown, grouping some with new outdoor tables to create places for residents to sit and linger. Organizers installed plaques featuring photos and a brief narrative on the benches. Additionally, they adorned tabled with imagery and text explaining New Ulm's history.

Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects

Columbia, SC

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2026

Project Category: Disaster Preparedness

Description: Four disaster preparedness workshops will be offered across two counties. Adults in a 55-plus community will receive checklists and emergency preparedness items.

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.

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