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City of New Haven Department of Elderly Services (2023) Print
2023 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Public space activation
└ Public space activation
New Haven's older adults lacked outdoor seating, leaving older adults without safe, accessible places to rest or socialize at local community centers. The department installed ADA-compliant benches at three centers and created mental health resource materials for distribution. Volunteers guided bench placement and unveiling events. The project improved accessibility, encouraged social interaction and sparked collaboration between city departments. Feedback praised the benches as "a good way to have conversation and fellowship" and "great when you are waiting for your ride."
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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Elkhorn, WI
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: Elkhorn lacked an outdoor space designed for older adults, leaving many residents with mobility challenges and few options for social connection. The Chamber transformed a vacant downtown lot into an ADA-accessible park with clustered seating, lighting, tables and a water feature. The space quickly hosted major events, including a high school reunion and a holiday festival, and is now reserved for dementia-friendly programs and book clubs. A local business owner who uses a wheelchair said that he was able to fully utilize the space for the first time and that it felt effortless, underscoring its inclusive design and lasting impact.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Green River, UT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: As Epicenter worked to complete its Canal Commons affordable housing development, organizers set out to create an accessible greenspace for future residents. Located in the desert city of Green River, the pocket neighborhood lacks access to walking trails, sidewalks and parks. To address this, Epicenter installed concrete walkways. To allow residents to gather outdoors at night -- and avoid the hot, desert sun -- organizers installed LED lighting along the path. Wayfinding signage helps residents navigate the path, as well as the larger neighborhood. The space also features a picnic table, ADA-compliant benches and raised garden beds. Epicenter prioritized universal design elements for the greenspace to ensure people can age in place at Canal Commons.
Warren, OH
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: For decades, a 135-acre abandoned hospital was neglected in a Warren neighborhood, leaving older residents without nearby green space. The organization engaged the community through meetings and canvassing. This led to the project that transformed the site into Riverside Park with a walking path, benches, picnic tables and a pollinator garden. Volunteers, nearly half age 50 or over, planted 100 trees, creating a space for exercise and social connection. Residents say the area feels "alive" again, and a neighborhood association now meets weekly to maintain the park, ensuring it remains a vibrant community asset.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
New Haven, CT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Reconnect Communities
Description: Decades after a highway cut through New Haven neighborhoods, residents still faced barriers created by the interstate, with older adults especially affected by unsafe crossings and limited access to public space and the river. The Arts Council of Greater New Haven led a community-driven effort to reimagine the space beneath the highway as a shared park that could reconnect divided areas. The project engaged hundreds of residents through pop-up sessions, focus groups and intergenerational design activities, translating their input into Phase I design renderings for an accessible, multi-use public space. The renderings reflect long-standing community priorities, including safer walking routes, access to nature and places to gather across generations. The work produced a clear, shared vision that now guides continued engagement and future planning, advancing a broader effort to repair the lasting impacts of past infrastructure decisions.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Stratford, CT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Trails
Description: Stratford Walks addressed high rates of chronic illness among older adults and limited safe walking options. The town redesigned maps, printed 500 booklets and installed benches to make routes more inviting. A kickoff event and volunteer-led outreach doubled weekly walking club attendance and engaged residents who had been inactive. The program sparked new initiatives like branded signage and integration into a future trails master plan. One caregiver shared that he now realizes how much his patient could enjoy participation in club activities, a reminder of how movement and connection transform daily life.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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