AARP Hearing Center
AARP Livable Communities Map
See More Projects Like This One
Los Angeles, CA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: The 35,000 inhabitants of Los Angeles' Westlake/MacArthur Park community live within a 10-minute walk of Golden Age Park, and a third of those residents live in poverty. Working with city agencies and local senior centers, the Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust wanted to beautify the small park and provide a space for gardening and gathering. New picnic tables, a barbecue pit, tool shed and plantings transformed the park into an inviting center for recreation. Since the improvements, the City has footed the bill for continued maintenance. A mural to enliven the site is now in the works.
Presidio, TX
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: Daly Park, once a gathering place, had deteriorated, leaving few safe spaces for older adults and families. The district revitalized the park with ADA-accessible benches and picnic tables, mobility-friendly exercise equipment, outdoor musical instruments and new grilling areas. A mural and solar lighting added safety and cultural character. The upgrades have renewed interest in the park for walks, family celebrations and public events. "My mother... loved to skate here... I wish she could see the park now," one resident said, reflecting the park's restored role in community life.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Lorain, OH
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: This project made improvements to Falbo Park, including adding a 20- by 20-foot shade awning, a large glider swing and an additional shade structure featuring a trellis for vines to climb. The City of Lorain designed these enhancements to make Falbo Park a space for intergenerational physical activity, play and community-building. The park hosted activities and provided solace to residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. This project sparked other tangible changes to Falbo Park. In 2021, the City added a butterfly garden to attract pollinators. They also installed accessible bench-style swings in other parts of town, including at the local outdoor concert venue.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Rapid City, SD
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: Visitors in busy community spaces often had no place to sit, leaving people without a comfortable spot to rest during walks or long visits. To address this, the group partnered with a welding class to design and build two ADA-compliant benches, which were finished with powder coating and installed on new concrete pads. Placing them in the market park created the only seating in that area and offered shaded resting spots for people spending time there. Members said the project helped them recognize broader unmet needs in their community and inspired future efforts. One volunteer noted that the benches were placed in "perfect shaded areas", making the park easier for people to enjoy.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Canton, SD
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Bike Audits
Description: The downtown highway crossing in Canton had become hazardous for people walking and biking because drivers often failed to slow or stop. The Chamber used bike audits to document safety gaps and visibility issues, then partnered with the state DOT to install new signs and repaint crosswalks. These steps set the stage for safer routes and more predictable movement for those who rely on walking or biking. Plans are for additional installations to be installed in the upcoming year.
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 South Dakota State Office
5101 S. Nevada Avenue
Suite 150
Sioux Falls, SD 57108
United States