AARP Hearing Center
AARP Livable Communities Map
City of Greeley (2022) Print
2022 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Public space activation
└ Public space activation
Greeley lacked a downtown corridor and gathering spaces, leaving residents without a sense of place. The project installed decorative light poles along State Highway 38, creating a focal point and sparking community pride. The grant also prompted events like a car cruise and soup supper, which had not occurred in years, and helped raise funds for future improvements. One volunteer said, "I think it's great for our small town and it's a great starting point for more good things to come." Plans include adding more light poles and playground equipment to continue revitalization.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Photo Gallery
Image:
Click on a photo to learn more
See More Projects Like This One
Gallatin, MO
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: Gallatins Main Street lacked safe, accessible spaces, leaving older adults at risk on poorly lit sidewalks and struggling with a hard-to-use entrance. The center addressed this by installing dusk-to-dawn LED lighting at its storefront and alley, adding a commercial door with ADA-compliant features and placing a weather-resistant bench and table set for outdoor socializing. These upgrades improved safety, accessibility and community engagement while modernizing the buildings appearance. One participant said the new door is "not only aesthetically pleasing, it is safer for us."
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Cut Bank, MT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: This project will create a 1.4-mile paved, ADA-compliant path connecting the City of Cut Bank to the School Districts Sports Complex and Glacier Historical Museum. It aims to provide a safe walking route for pedestrians.
Portland, ME
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: Portland's central business district has a number of neglected alleyways and streetcorners. To make walking though downtown easier -- and to attract pedestrians to local businesses -- Portland Downtown activated these spaces. They enlisted residents of an assisted living facility created murals on old doors. They also brightened up two alleys with overhead lighting. Organizers say the project improved safety, created art and engaged local businesses, all while making once-derelict areas more welcoming.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Dyersville, IA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Public space improvements to support recovery after extreme weather events
Description: As part of an efforts to recover from a flood, this project created a community plaza and amphitheater in Dyersville. The green space links to a walking and biking trail, which is connected to the city's downtown riverwalk. To make the new plaza accessible, project organizers added diagonal parking, made accessibility upgrades to crosswalks, created new sidewalks and built a stage and canopy onsite. Today the site hosts a market, concerts and movie nights. It is also a venue for Beyond the Game events -- a gathering marking Dyersville's baseball history as the site of the Field of Dreams.
Monticello, IA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Addressing community health
Description: Food insecurity and limited access to affordable, healthy meals left many residents, especially older adults, without resources to learn cost-saving cooking skills. The library addressed this by purchasing a mobile kitchen cart equipped for demonstrations and hands-on classes. Programs ranged from story times for children to adult sessions on preserving food, cooking on a budget and using local produce. The cart sparked community interest, drawing new participants and partnerships with farms and advocates. Attendees praised the classes, and the library plans to expand offerings, including appliance-focused workshops and summer literacy programs tied to cooking.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
LEARN MORE AND STAY INFORMED
Find articles and resources about making communities more livable for people of all ages
Download or order free publications from AARP Livable Communities
Sign up for the free, weekly, award-winning AARP Livable Communities eNewsletter
Don't see your community listed?
LEARN HOW IT CAN JOIN THE NETWORKConnect with your AARP State Office
AARP has offices in all 50 states as well as in the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
AARP Iowa State Office
600 E. Court Avenue
Suite 100
Des Moines, IA 50309
United States