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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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San Antonio, TX
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Housing Choice Design Competitions
Description: San Antonio needed affordable housing options for older adults, but residents lacked awareness of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). Citymakery launched an outreach campaign with an informational video and a design competition, drawing 275 submissions and engaging families and students. The effort expanded through social media and libraries, sparking citywide interest and informing plans for permit-ready ADU designs. "The design process let me reflect on caring for my grandfather," said one winner, showing how the initiative connected housing solutions to real family needs.
Whitefish, MT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Housing Choice Design Competitions
Description: Whitefish's housing shortage forces many older adults to remain in homes that no longer meet their needs, or to leave the area entirely. Shelter WF launched a design competition during the city's Growth Policy Update, drawing 11 submissions and over 120 public votes. The project produced educational materials and a magazine shared with city leaders, sparking conversations about zoning reforms and gentle density. Two board members joined a city review panel, and designs focused on aging in place are now influencing policy discussions to expand affordable housing options.
Miami-Dade County, FL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Housing Choice Design Competitions
Description: Miami's housing shortage leaves older adults with few affordable and accessible options. To address this, the project launched a design competition and partnered with architects, universities and health agencies to create ADU plans that prioritize affordability, sustainability and accessibility. Public charrettes and exhibitions showcased innovative designs for multigenerational living. These efforts sparked ideas for aging-in-place housing and will lead to free online plans, helping homeowners add ADUs without costly design work and promoting long-term solutions for inclusive housing.
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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