Oconomowoc, WI

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: This alley activation project turned a stark passageway between the lakefront and downtown retail into a livelier pedestrian link. Project organizers added a painted design on the pavement and constructed trellises to provide shade. The City chose not to close the alleyway during the transformation work. Instead, passersby were invited to lend a hand to the rejuvenation process by painting a faux floor tile (or several). This also allowed visitors to ask questions about the transformation happening before their eyes. The project sparked conversations about how to activate the other downtown alleys, each with its own unique look and distinctive experience. And when the City reconstructed its boardwalk, it borrowed the trellis design used in the alleyway. People now change their routes to experience the walkway, city planner Kristi Weber said. It gets folks to lift their heads up, look around and enjoy some untraditional and unexpected art.

Bismarck, ND

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: As part of Bismarck's Health in All Policies initiative, the City made improvements to its 16th Street Park, intending to create a sense of place and encourage residents to be active outdoors. To revitalize the park, project organizers installed a new bench, ADA-accessible picnic table and game table. Local artists also designed a mural for a building onsite and decorated walkways with sidewalk chalk art. To complete the activation, volunteers created designs by pushing colorful plastic cups through the park's chain link fences. Additionally, the City conducted a temporary traffic calming demonstration at a nearby roundabout in an effort to make the area safer for pedestrians.

Cleveland, OH

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: The May Dugan Center, which serves low-income older adults in Cleveland's Ohio City neighborhood, hoped to create a welcoming gathering space for its Seniors on the Move program. To make the Center's outdoor area accessible, organizers outfitted the space with four ADA-compliant picnic tables. Additionally, the Center provided program participants with herb garden kits, allowing them to create windowsill gardens in their homes. Ultimately, organizers hope experience tending the kits will help SOTM participants hone their gardening skills, which they will use to plant flower beds and raised vegetable plots at the Center. This project is part of the nonprofit's larger mission to help older adults manage their financial, physical and emotional wellbeing, allowing them to safely age in place.