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City of Tucson Planning and Development Services Department (2023) Print
2023 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Housing
└ Housing Design Competitions
└ Housing 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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Montclair, NJ
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Housing Design Competitions
Description: Skyrocketing housing costs and property taxes left older adults with few options to remain in their neighborhoods. To address this, Montclair Gateway launched a design competition for accessory dwelling units (ADUs), drawing 31 submissions from architecture students. Six winning designs were exhibited publicly and added to an online resource library, giving homeowners practical plans for age-friendly housing. The effort sparked local ADU applications and informed state policy discussions. "We want to keep our elders close to us at this point in our lives and in their lives," said one homeowner.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
North Adams, MA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Housing 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.
Bellingham, WA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Housing Design Competitions
Description: Bellingham's housing shortage left many older adults without options to age in place, even after an ordinance allowed accessory dwelling units (ADUs). To raise awareness, Sustainable Connections hosted an ADU Design Competition that drew 45 submissions and thousands of public votes. The event featured an awards celebration and collaboration with Aging Well Whatcom to ensure designs met aging-in-place needs. The effort educated residents and designers, strengthened ties between planners and developers and sparked momentum for more ADUs, helping older adults live independently while staying connected to family.
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.
Pima County, AZ
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2026
Project Category: Public space improvements to increase high-speed internet availability
Description: Supported telehealth services will be offered at community sites, with trained navigators available. The program will improve health care access in rural areas.
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