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Civic Nebraska (2023) Print
2023 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Transportation
└ Walkability
└ Walkability
Residents along Lincoln's 11th Street faced unsafe crossings and heavy traffic, leaving older adults and families vulnerable. Civic Nebraska organized six walk audits covering eight intersections, surveyed residents and hosted an open house with city staff to spotlight hazards. Volunteers, including older adults, gathered feedback that shaped the 11th Street Corridor Improvement plan. The effort forged a partnership with Lincoln Transportation & Utilities, ensuring future projects reflect lived experience and giving residents a stronger voice in street safety.
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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Greenwood, MS
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Walkability
Description: Unsafe sidewalks and speeding traffic made walking hazardous for older adults in Greenwood. The project trained participants to use the MAPS-Mini audit tool, conduct walk audits and join community meetings to push for repairs and safer crossings. These efforts sparked advocacy for walkable neighborhoods and healthier lifestyles. One resident shared that previously she had to walk close to the curb, which created a dangerous path for her. Her story highlighted the need for change.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Louisville, KY
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Walkability
Description: Unsafe sidewalks and crossings near a community garden left older adults struggling to navigate an area dominated by interstate ramps and a deteriorating pedestrian bridge. The association led three walk audits, documented hazards and pressed officials for change. They restriped Preston Street to add a bike lane, cleared invasive plants to improve visibility and enhanced the garden entryway with salvaged historic materials. These efforts sparked city and state engagement on redesign plans and gave residents a stronger voice in shaping safer streets. One organizer said "I've personally had many close calls attempting to cross these streets," making the need for improvements clear.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Pauls Valley, OK
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Walkability
Description: Older pedestrians face unsafe walking conditions on streets without sidewalks, forcing residents age 50-plus to navigate uneven surfaces and traffic. To address this, the project conducted four walk audits with community members, city staff and business owners to identify hazards and prioritize improvements. The effort sparked partnerships and future funding plans. One participant shared her hope to add benches and plaques honoring the neighborhood's history, showing how walkability upgrades can enhance safety and preserve heritage.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Lincoln, NE
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Digital navigation skills
Description: Many older adults lacked the digital skills needed to use online tools that now shape daily life, from email and maps to accessing health care and financial information. Lincoln City Libraries addressed that gap by offering hands-on technology classes and individual help that focused on practical tasks participants asked about. Sessions covered computer basics, mobile device use and online safety in an interactive setting where learners worked side by side. One attendee described the classes as "very interactive" and said instructors showed them how to complete tasks in real time. By building confidence and embedding ongoing support into library services, the project helped older adults feel more capable navigating an increasingly digital world.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Lincoln, NE
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: NeighborWorks Lincoln turned a vacant lot into a community garden. Volunteers installed fifteen raised garden beds, along with lighting and an arbor entranceway. Other improvements include walkway and seating. Residents have access to fresh produce grown onsite. In addition, project organizers recruited experienced gardeners to help beginners learn the ropes. Today, residents -- many of whom represent the area's Latino, Iraqi and Karen communities -- use the garden as a space to socialize. Locals have told NeighborWorks that they feel safer walking past the site now that it's a garden instead of an abandoned lot. And work on the garden paved the way for future projects as well. Organizers also said they worked with the City of Lincoln to work around rules restricting planting in a public right-of-way, which helped make future gardening plans feasible.
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