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Burlington, VT

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: This project will create an accessible outdoor seating area for older residents by repurposing several paved parking spaces near the local senior center and equipping them with bench seating, tables, chairs and planters for gardening.

Houston, TX

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: Many residents of Houston's Gulfton neighborhood live in apartment buildings, which lack outdoor space. Organizers with My Connect Community set out to give these residents a place to gather. They created a placemaking tool kit tailored to multifamily property owners. The kit includes portable carts adorned with laser-cut designs meant to represent Gulfton's diversity. Each cart also features a shade umbrella and a chalkboard. Additionally, the kits include outdoor rugs, bistro lighting and seating. Then My Connect Community hosted a series of pop-up events on side streets and in on-street parking spaces. The temporary activations gave Gulfton residents a chance to socialize with one another and allowed organizers to share information about community resources, such as public transit service and library programming. In the future, My Connect Community hopes to ensure community events are culturally informed and engage volunteers who speak residents' languages.

Detroit, MI

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: To give older adults a space where they can interact with local children, Eden Gardens Block Club converted two vacant lots into an intergenerational playground. Ahead of the project, the Edens Garden surveyed residents about their preferences, with 80 percent of respondents asking for exercise equipment for older adults. Volunteers then worked to clear the site and install playground apparatuses, including swings, a see-saw bouncer and a cardio walker. Organizers say the space is now a source of community pride for the community.

Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects

Metarie, LA

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024

Project Category: Digital navigation skills

Description: Two retired middle school teachers will train older adults to use their smartphones. Lessons will cover basic skills, such as how to turn the phone on and off, as well as intermediate topics, including making photo albums and deleting apps.

Baton Rouge, LA

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018

Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement

Description: The Center for Planning Excellence set out to improve community health by promoting walking and biking in North Baton Rouge. Partnering with the local parks and recreation commission and utility departments, they improved lighting, directional signage and visibility in and around Longfellow Park. They also founded a walking club and staged a twilight walking event. Additionally, the Center launched a website with information about walking clubs, which also includes a tracking feature where residents can record their health status.

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