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District 6 Planning Council (2020) Print
2020 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Park enhancements
└ Park enhancements
After a survey of North End residents revealed a need for additional seating in the Trout Brook Nature Sanctuary, the District 6 Planning Council installed benches along the site's accessible walkways. A local artist designed each bench to depict colorful animals, including a blue and orange turtle, a bright orange otter, a red rabbit and a yellow and green frog. Project organizers say they hope to give visitors a place to rest, enjoy the outdoors and make social connections.
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See More Projects Like This One
Fort Wayne, IN
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: Bridge of Grace Ministries set out to make the underserved Mount Vernon Park neighborhood safe, walkable and accessible for all. Their effort included physical improvements, including updated landscaping, new porch swings and banners promoting their work. They also conducted a storytelling project, inviting Mount Vernon Park residents to gather and share their personal histories and experiences. Volunteers videotaped the event and featured the stories on YouTube. Participants in the storytelling events reported a profound sense of connection with neighbors and the community.
Cosmopolis, WA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: Highland Park had fallen into disrepair, leaving older adults without a safe place to gather or exercise. The project transformed the park with paved walkways and parking, a covered communal area with ADA ramps, and new benches and picnic tables. It added an accessible playground, fitness stations and a pickleball/basketball court designed for all ages. The revitalized park now hosts events that foster connection. One longtime resident said, "I just love this park... I have never seen so many people using it."
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Casper, WY
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: Casper lacked a memorial honoring Wyoming residents who died in combat. The Legion built a tribute with engraved panels, granite benches, flagpoles, lighting and smooth concrete for wheelchair access. A dedication ceremony featured Gold Star families and community volunteers. One niece said she was "crying in gratitude" after finding her uncles' names, underscoring the memorial's emotional impact and its role as a lasting place for reflection.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
St. Paul, MN
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017
Project Category: Engaging residents in vibrant public places
Description: St. Paul's North End, originally settled around 1850, once was a magnet for European immigrants who worked for the railroads. In the late 1900s the neighborhood became a haven for migrants from Laos, Somalia and Burma, making it one of the most diverse places in Minnesota. The District 6 Planning Council, a local community organization that later changed its name to the North End Neighborhood Association, wanted a way to convey multilingual community and events information to residents who don't use the internet. The organization purchased five message boards and install them at two community gardens, at an outdoor seating area by an ice cream shop and in other locations.
St. Paul, MN
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: This project installed a garden with native and pollinator-friendly plants at a local elementary school. Residents -- including a neighborhood Boy Scout troop -- pitched in to prepare the site and plant foliage. Community members have continued to tend to the garden since its installation. Spurred by the success of the garden, school staff area considering planting more native gardens in the future -- including rain gardens to absorb stormwater runoff.
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