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City of Tucson Planning and Development Services Department (2023) Print
2023 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Housing
└ Housing Choice Design Competitions
└ Housing Choice Design Competitions
High housing costs in Tucson strain older adults, and while ADUs were legalized to expand options, homeowners lacked guidance and resources. The city launched a design competition that drew 63 submissions, selected 10 winning plans and created a model plan library with a website to simplify permitting and reduce costs. Public engagement events and educational materials boosted awareness. The effort accelerated ADU adoption and sparked community interest, with one participant noting, "I am very excited to bring more housing options to Tucson and AZ!"
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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Rock Falls, IL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Housing Choice Design Competitions
Description: Blackhawk Hills Regional Council sought to address the need for practical housing designs that support multigenerational living and accessibility in rural communities. Their regional design competition drew 11 submissions judged on universal design, affordability and flexible layouts that help older adults and families live together comfortably. Most entries incorporated strong accessibility features, giving residents and leaders clear examples of how modern housing concepts can be built. Public voting helped introduce these ideas across the region. The project produced a library of designs that BHRC will exhibit in 2026 and explore for construction, offering a roadmap for future builds and local adoption.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Phelps, NY
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Housing Choice Design Competitions
Description: Phelps Business Development and Tourism Council Inc. responded to a shortage of affordable, independent living options for older adults by running a design competition for tiny homes and ADUs. Five designers over age 50 submitted concepts shaped by interviews with older adults, which were reviewed through county public health and the Office for the Aging. The effort sparked community discussions, advanced potential sites and formed partnerships with New Energy Works and Ark Design Studio to turn 12 finalists into 2 zoning-ready plans. With land talks underway and donated labor pledged for a first build, the project accelerated locally supported housing options with rents aligned to fixed incomes.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
North Adams, MA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Housing Choice Design Competitions
Description: North Adams Partnership addressed a housing challenge facing residents age 50-plus who wanted to downsize or adapt their homes but found accessory dwelling units difficult to pursue due to cost and design complexity. The Small & Smart ADU Design Challenge translated new housing rules into practical, age-friendly design options by inviting designers and students to create concepts rooted in local conditions. Winning designs were selected through a community review process and made available to residents at no cost, lowering barriers to getting started. The project also highlighted gaps in financing and technical support and led to public panels that helped residents understand next steps. One student designer said she wanted her plan to feel welcoming, with space so residents could be comfortable having family over for holidays. The effort clarified a realistic path for older adults to age in place while modestly expanding housing choices.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Tucson, AZ
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018
Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
Description: With brightly painted asphalt, street furniture and large urns hosting potted cacti and other native plants, Tucson's Living Streets Alliance transformed the intersection of 6th Avenue and 7th Street, an area known locally as Corbett Porch. For years, the intersection had been dangerous ground for pedestrians and cyclists. By using inexpensive materials -- such as paint, planters and pliable posts -- to narrow the roadway and create a new, street-adjacent public space, the porch became a street for people. Where only 1 in 4 drivers previously stopped at the intersection's stop signs, a survey found that more than 1 in 3 were obeying the law. Meanwhile, Tucsonans flocked to the public space. Until it was removed to make way for a permanent reconfiguration, the project proved to be such a popular place to see and be seen, it even got its own hashtag: CorbettPorch.
South Tucson, AZ
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: The Primavera Foundation improved the La Capilla neighborhood's community garden by building raised bed planters, adding ADA-compliant benches and making garden walking paths more accessible. In addition, the Foundation purchased ergonomic and adaptive tools, since the majority of residents who use the garden are older adults, often accompanied by their grandchildren. The garden improvements coincided with the City of South Tucson's Greenway Redevelopment Project, which brought public art to the neighborhood. To celebrate local residents' heritage, project organizers also installed a walking path to a mural located next to the garden. That mural -- created by student artists -- pays homage to the Yaqui and Mexican American cultures. Since this project's completion, the Foundation has made similar upgrades to another community garden.
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