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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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Ronceverte, WV
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: To give residents an outdoor space to gather, this project set out to create a pocket park in downtown Ronceverte. Organizers poured topsoil to level out the site and added benches and raised flower beds. A mural is also planned for the site.
East St. Louis, IL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: As part of its efforts to boost public transit use and spart economic development around transit stations, Citizens for Modern Transit activated the Emerson Park light rail and bus station in East St. Louis. To choose a theme for the station and ensure the new amenities would meet the community's needs, project organizers held design workers and other community engagement events. They then installed new seating, shade structures and a sound system to pipe music into the space. A local artist collaborated with community members to create pavement art and a mural, which pay tribute to the area's musical history. Organizers say they hope the new space promotes creative play, cultivates community and encourages people to ride public transit.
Charlotte, NC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: Before the advent of air conditioning, a Southern home was not complete without a front porch with a swing. To replicate the experience of gathering on a porch, the City of Charlotte installed swings at two bus stops in place of the more traditional bench. Located along Belmont Avenue -- a corridor where many older adults rely on public transportation -- the two-person swings provide a space for riders to socialize as they wait for their bus. Inspired by the popularity of the swings, the City is exploring other opportunities for placemaking around local bus stops.
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.
New Haven, CT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2026
Project Category: Improved wayfinding
Description: Multiple walking audits will identify accessible loop routes around an apartment complex for older adults. Shared results will support resident walking groups and social engagement.
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