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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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San Antonio, TX
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Housing Choice Design Competitions
Description: San Antonio needed affordable housing options for older adults, but residents lacked awareness of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). Citymakery launched an outreach campaign with an informational video and a design competition, drawing 275 submissions and engaging families and students. The effort expanded through social media and libraries, sparking citywide interest and informing plans for permit-ready ADU designs. "The design process let me reflect on caring for my grandfather," said one winner, showing how the initiative connected housing solutions to real family needs.
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.
Iowa City, IA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Housing Choice Design Competitions
Description: To expand affordable housing options, Johnson County tackled restrictive ADU policies through a creative approach: Lego design competitions at fairs, libraries and festivals. The events drew 156 participants and hundreds of visitors, sparking conversations about zoning flexibility. Volunteers shared materials on ADU benefits, and advocacy led Iowa City to adopt nearly all proposed code amendments. Parents at the events voiced interest in ADUs for aging relatives, signaling growing community support for housing solutions.
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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