Palmer Township, PA

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: The project will turn an open space adjacent to the public library into a community gathering area with benches, a sculpture and a garden paying tribute to Native American culture.

New Ulm, MN

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: Downtown Action Team partnered with Minnesota Main Street to encourage residents of all ages to come downtown, walk down main street and learn about local history. To encourage socializing, they rearranged underutilized benches downtown, grouping some with new outdoor tables to create places for residents to sit and linger. Organizers installed plaques featuring photos and a brief narrative on the benches. Additionally, they adorned tabled with imagery and text explaining New Ulm's history.

Port Orford, OR

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: To revitalize Port Orford's downtown and make it more walkable, the City installed benches with built-in planters along Main Street. Sites chosen for the new benches included the local food co-op, a quilt shop and a Norwegian restaurant. A construction crew from a nearby correctional facility built four bench-planter combos. High school students made plaques to recognize the inmates for their work and AARP for funding the building supplies. After installation, the local arts council set up the community's traditional holiday crab-pot tree next to one of the benches and added festive decorations to its planter. Project organizers report downtown property owners are thrilled with the improvements and the City plans to continue adding seating to Main Street.