Logan, IA

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: Older adults in Logan lacked safe outdoor spaces and reliable internet, often sitting on library steps to access Wi-Fi. The library addressed this by adding a covered gazebo, ADA-compliant picnic table and extended Wi-Fi outdoors. Volunteers, most age 50-plus, built seating and decorated the space, creating a welcoming area for gatherings. The project boosted visits and social engagement, with one resident mentioning that a project like this has long been overdue. Plans include adding solar charging stations and a community notice board to keep the momentum going.

Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.

Somerville, NJ

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: This project paired local youth with graduate students to evaluate walkability and bikeability in Somerset. Youth ambassadors engaged with members of their community to identify barriers to walking and biking, as well as opportunities to make active transportation safer and more comfortable. Based on their findings, the students decided to construct a parklet in Somerville's Bound Brook neighborhood. The mini-park -- which sits in the footprint of a parking spot -- extends the sidewalk space into the roadway. The parklet is modular, allowing the student ambassadors to set it up at community events, including weekly farmers market and movie nights. Organizers hope the temporary space offers residents an attractive place to stop, sit and to rest while taking in activities on the street. Youth who participated in the project worked alongside local leaders and made intergenerational connections -- all while learning how to advocate for their community.

Viroqua, WI

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: The McIntosh Memorial Library serves as an accessible, welcoming community gathering space for the community. Library staff hoped to further draw visitors to the library by creating a new aviary in the center of the building. To do this, the library constructed a seating area, as well as a habitat for several songbirds. Organizers say the space serves as a venue for intergenerational story time, as well as a place to read and have conversations. To introduce patrons to the new space, the library hosted a Festival of Birds. In the future, they plan to host educational programming on birding, both at the library and along nearby hiking trails. Community members are already enjoying the aviary -- one older woman was in tears as she watched the songbirds with her son. She told staff the "aviary was one of the most beautiful features of the library."