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Morrilton, AR

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: With the addition of several new hammocks near Morrilton's nature trail and park, the Parks and Recreation Department provided a place for all ages to pause, lean back and relax. According to the City, the installation has led drivers to slow down to look at the hammock farm, with some visitors trying out hammocks for the first time.

Farmington, NM

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: This project activated a breezeway in downtown Farmington. The city-owned space was long unused -- it sits in the footprint of a building that burned to the ground in 1914. But since it conveniently connects a parking lot to the town's Main Street, project organizers saw its potential as a convenient passthrough and gathering space. By installing solar-powered string lights, setting out seating and tables and creating a mural on an adjacent building, the City created a pocket park. The city plans to continue to add to the space, creating more seating out of wood from a beloved blue spruce that died and installing raised planter beds. Organizers say they also envision bringing community activities to the pocket park.

Sheridan, WY

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: Several years ago, the Powder River Basin Resource Council created a food forest -- a space that gives the community access to fresh produce, including fruit, berries and vegetables. However, the space lacked accessibility features, making it difficult for older adults and people with mobility challenges to visit. To make the food forest more inviting, the council asked a local craftsman to design benches, which give people a place to pause and relax as they walk through the gardens. They also installed solar lighting, which allows visitors to use the forest after dark. Plans to expand the food forest are now underway. The council is working with an elder from the Northern Cheyenne community to create a Native food garden onsite.

Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects

McAlester, OK

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022

Project Category: Park enhancements

Description: Residents in a low-income neighborhood of McAlester lacked accessible recreation options. The city converted an underused tennis court into two pickleball courts, repairing the surface and installing nets and poles to create a safe, permanent space for active living. The courts encourage multi-generational play and social connection, offering older adults a low-impact way to stay healthy. The city plans to maintain the courts and expand amenities at the park, including a splash pad and trail upgrades, to further support active lifestyles.

Eufaula, OK

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: The City of Eufaula hoped to draw people to local businesses by increasing foot traffic on Main Street. To do this, the City created a music trail downtown. They installed 11 pairs of outdoor percussion instruments -- including xylophones and drums -- along a half-mile pathway, which winds past community landmarks. Additionally, project organizers displayed a map to inform passersby of the location of each instrument. The project is part of larger efforts to recover after the COVID-19 pandemic, which increased social isolation among residents and left local businesses -- including many owned by Native community members -- struggling to stay afloat.

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