City of Monroe (2020) Print

star-24px 2020 AARP Community Challenge Grantee

Project Category

Public places
└ Public space activation
To give people an outdoor space to socialize in the heart of downtown, the City of Monroe transformed its visitor center's concrete patio into a new mini-park. The City brightened up the area by adding planters, seating, outdoor games and a mural painted by local youth. The City then unveiled the new space during the local fall festival. Additionally, project organizers made enhancements to the existing hammock park located next to the visitor's center. The site offers visitors a spot to relax in one of several hammocks. To accommodate more foot traffic, the City added bench swings and pergolas for shade. Inspired by the visitor center improvements, nearby businesses put out their own planters by their storefronts. Project organizers say the upgrades helped lift the spirits of residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

See More Projects Like This One

City of Hartsville (2025)

Hartsville, SC

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: The City of Hartsville transformed a community gym into a temporary indoor farmers market with accessible seating, vendor tables, signage and waste bins. When the market opens, it will offer a comfortable, weather-protected space and access to fresh foods for residents, with participation encouraged by those age 50-plus. The city plans quarterly events in 2026 and expects engagement to grow as residents experience the convenience and value of the indoor market.

Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.

City of Montpelier (2017)

Montpelier, VT

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: To provide a place for cyclists and walkers to rest and socialize, this project developed a pocket park along an existing bike path. Guertin Pocket Park features a pergola -- a wooden structure with a roof -- to provide shelter from the sun or rain. Project organizers also incorporated seating and bike racks, as well as a rainwater collection system that feeds a small decorative garden. In 2021, the city decided to move the pocket park to a new location in the heart of downtown.

City of Columbia (2017)

Columbia, SC

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: The City of Columbia set out to provide outdoor seating along Main Street, an area that attracts pedestrians and hosts events that draw visitors from the surrounding region. Project organizers say that people now have a spot to work on their laptops, enjoy a cup of coffee or take in a meal from nearby food trucks. Although staff originally removed and stored the tables at the end of each day, their popularity spurred the City to leave them out permanently. And when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the colorful tables and chairs provided residents with a safe space to gather outside. Because the seating is heavily used, the City has explored more ways to provide seating on Main Street.

Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects

Conyers Rockdale Library System (2021)

Conyers, GA

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: The grounds of the Conyers-Rockdale Library offer locals an attractive, relaxing place to work remotely and enjoy the area's natural surroundings. Through its Birds, Benches and Blooms project, the library installed brightly colored benches around the grounds, including one on the Olde Town Conyers Trail, a well-traveled bicycle and pedestrian path. Project organizers also installed hand-crafted wooden bird feeders with live stream cameras, allowing residents to watch birds in person and from home. Additionally, the library bought two weather-protected corkboards to display community announcements.

Athens Downtown Development Authority (2021)

Athens, GA

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021

Project Category: Engaging residents in vibrant public places

Description: Athens has a rich African American history that spans many generations, yet has lacked an appropriate venue to share its stories. The Downtown Athens Development Authority created a permanent exhibit at the Ware-Lydon House Museum about people enslaved in the region, which also featured stories about their descendants. The exhibit was developed alongside the museum's new, 40-volume African American heritage library and community conversation area, which includes tables and chairs where visitors can gather. Additionally, the Authority developed the first section of an African American Heritage Pathway walking tour, which travels between the museum and the home of one of the first vaudeville theaters in the U.S. built, owned, and operated by a Black entrepreneur.

ABOUT THE AARP COMMUNITY CHALLENGE

Launched in 2017, the annual AARP Community Challenge provides small grants to local governments and nonprofits in order to fund quick-action, ready-to-implement projects that can help communities become more livable for people of all ages.

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