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England, AR
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: Ward 3 in England faced decades of neglect, leaving older adults without safe spaces for connection or activity. The Serenity Garden project transformed a vacant lot into a vibrant hub, adding a farm stand, foot-operated wash station, bike rack with a repair station, shade structures and murals. Accessible paths and fitness signage made gardening and exercise achievable for residents age 50-plus. These upgrades fostered pride and inclusion. Neighbors in wheelchairs joined concerts and picked fresh produce, while murals boosted visibility and hope for renewal. As one resident noted, the improvements made summer gatherings more enjoyable and strengthened community ties.
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.
South Boston, VA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: A neglected alley linking Main Street to the farmers market posed safety risks and lacked seating, limiting access for older adults. The project transformed it into a welcoming connector by grading the surface, adding ADA-compliant benches and constructing a ramp and steps for accessibility. Local artisans fabricated custom metal benches, and lighting and art installations are planned to enhance the space. The improved alley now offers a safe, social area for gatherings and easier market access. Older adults expressed excitement about having a place to sit and participate in activities, calling it "a great addition to downtown".
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Charlotte, NC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Pedestrian Safety
Description: This project will develop an artificial intelligence safety dashboard to identify dangerous streets and guide infrastructure upgrades.
Charlotte, NC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Improved wayfinding
Description: Sustain Charlotte addressed a lack of clear greenway information by creating an interactive map showing 62 miles of trails with benches, restrooms and other accessibility features. Volunteers, many age 50-plus, helped gather and test data before the map's public launch. The tool now empowers older adults to plan safe outings and has prompted county planners to explore integrating it into official wayfinding. One participant said, "I had never walked on the greenway... adding these features to the map gave me confidence."
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