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Kuna, ID
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: Kuna has a large parking lot in the center of its downtown that goes largely underused for most of the year. To spark the community's imagination, the City and Idaho Smart Growth hosted the Park for a Day event, which turned the lot into a pop-up plaza. The event featured live music, a food vendor and sketches illustrating ways the space could be permanently transformed. Attendees also contributed their own designs for the parking lot. Suggestions included using the space for a series of short-term, recurring events, such as an Oktoberfest, a Christmas village, a renaissance fair or themed dance nights. The City went on to explore several ideas from the pop-up event, including paving the parking lot with solar panels and installing green stormwater infrastructure to sustain landscaping at the site.
Elaine, AR
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: This project will transform an unused pocket park into an ADA-compliant Rest and Recharge Station with solar charging stations, seating, and amenities.
Wellsburg, WV
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: Wellsburgs Town Square was underused and unsafe for older adults due to uneven brick pavers and limited seating. The project restored 9,000 square feet of pavers, added tables and chairs including an ADA-accessible option and installed murals to brighten vacant storefronts. These upgrades made the space safer and more inviting for daily use and events, such as a childrens' Halloween party. The improvements even sparked interest from a developer to revitalize nearby buildings, signaling long-term impact.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Evanston, WY
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: Two historic public spaces in Evanston lacked features that encouraged active use, leaving older adults with few options for social engagement. To change that, the city installed three concrete game tables for ping pong, foosball and chess/checkers, with wheelchair-friendly seating and using donated equipment. Volunteers helped assemble the tables, creating vibrant spaces for low-impact physical and mental activity. The durable tables are expected to draw visitors for years. A project leader said, "The day after the game tables were out, we heard a good story about a community member's granddaughter playing foosball with her dad. She had the best time and couldn't wait to play again."
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Logan, UT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Developing projects based on residents' priorities
Description: Cache County is home to many migrants from Eritrea, Sudan, Somalia, Myanmar and other nations. To serve this community, Cache Refugee and Immigrant Connection launched its Neighbor Program, with matches refugee families with local U.S.-born families. The cross-cultural pairings help familiarize newcomers with local resources, as well as activities and restaurants. Most importantly, participants learned about each other's cultures and developed friendships. To reach more families, project organizers worked to translate information about the program into Spanish, Tigrinya, Somali, Karen and Arabic. To ensure safety during the COVID-19 pandemic, participants primarily met online, but facilitators also provided them with outdoor activity kits. During the winter holidays, they baked cookies to share with one another.
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