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City of Lewisville (2024) Print
2024 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Housing
└ Housing Choice Design Competitions
└ Housing Choice Design Competitions
Rapid growth and rising housing costs left older adults struggling to age in place, even after zoning changes allowed accessory dwelling units (ADUs). To raise awareness, the city launched a Backyard Cottage Design Competition, engaging more than 18,000 residents through events and multilingual outreach. Older adults volunteered at parades and judging sessions, while the contest drew 67 design submissions and awarded prizes across multiple categories. The effort sparked interest in ADUs, led to a Permit Ready Plans portal for pre-approved designs and strengthened community engagement for future housing solutions.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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Lihue, HI
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Housing Choice Design Competitions
Description: High housing costs in Līhu‘e left older adults and families struggling for affordable options. Better Block Hawaii hosted a design competition for climate-resilient, age-friendly accessory dwelling units, engaging residents through workshops and a review committee. Eight submissions were received, and winning designs were published in a free booklet to guide future builds. "This is a home I can imagine living in," said one attendee at the community open house. The project raised awareness of ADUs as a practical solution for housing and supplemental income and sparked interest in similar efforts across Hawaii.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Montclair, NJ
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Housing Choice Design Competitions
Description: Skyrocketing housing costs and property taxes left older adults with few options to remain in their neighborhoods. To address this, Montclair Gateway launched a design competition for accessory dwelling units (ADUs), drawing 31 submissions from architecture students. Six winning designs were exhibited publicly and added to an online resource library, giving homeowners practical plans for age-friendly housing. The effort sparked local ADU applications and informed state policy discussions. "We want to keep our elders close to us at this point in our lives and in their lives," said one homeowner.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Rock Falls, IL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Housing Choice Design Competitions
Description: Blackhawk Hills Regional Council sought to address the need for practical housing designs that support multigenerational living and accessibility in rural communities. Their regional design competition drew 11 submissions judged on universal design, affordability and flexible layouts that help older adults and families live together comfortably. Most entries incorporated strong accessibility features, giving residents and leaders clear examples of how modern housing concepts can be built. Public voting helped introduce these ideas across the region. The project produced a library of designs that BHRC will exhibit in 2026 and explore for construction, offering a roadmap for future builds and local adoption.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Allen, TX
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Micromobility enhancements/management
Description: To encourage older residents to become more active and use the local trail system, the City of Allen purchased six adult electric tricycles for the Allen Senior Recreation Center. Center members can check out the trikes to use when weather permits. The tricycles provide supplementary electric power to assist with peddling when needed, enabling users with varying mobility levels to ride them. To get the lending program started, City built a storage facility for the tricycles and offered a skills class for riders. Additionally, they provided helmets, orange safety flags and bike locks. Although motorized vehicles typically aren't typically allowed on Allen's nearby Cottonwood Creek Hike/Bike trail, the City has made an exception for the trikes.
Richardson, TX
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
Description: To test solutions for managing traffic and making streets safer for pedestrians and residents with mobility challenges, the City of Richardson conducted a demonstration project in the business district surrounding the Arapaho Center light rail and bus station. Dubbed a road diet, they temporarily removed two motor vehicle lanes, replacing them with bike lanes. They added an artistic pedestrian crosswalk with a blue and red pattern reflecting the City's new Innovation District branding. In addition, they removed curbs, constructed fencing, installed wayfinding signs and added landscaping. Throughout the demonstration the City collected data on traffic levels and speeds, as well as pedestrian and bike trips. They also collected resident feedback and found 78 percent supported keeping the bike lanes and 82 percent were in favor of the new crosswalk. In 2020, the City obtained a 100,000 grant to permanently install bike lanes along the route.
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