Monroe, GA

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: To give people an outdoor space to socialize in the heart of downtown, the City of Monroe transformed its visitor center's concrete patio into a new mini-park. The City brightened up the area by adding planters, seating, outdoor games and a mural painted by local youth. The City then unveiled the new space during the local fall festival. Additionally, project organizers made enhancements to the existing hammock park located next to the visitor's center. The site offers visitors a spot to relax in one of several hammocks. To accommodate more foot traffic, the City added bench swings and pergolas for shade. Inspired by the visitor center improvements, nearby businesses put out their own planters by their storefronts. Project organizers say the upgrades helped lift the spirits of residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Flint, MI

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018

Project Category: Park enhancements

Description: To make the Footbridge Park Plaza safer and more inviting, the Carriage Town Neighborhood Association added benches, trash receptacles and a dog clean-up station to the space. They also upgraded lighting, allowing visitors to more safely use the plaza at night. Many Carriage Town residents use the footbridge to walk to and from Flint's downtown. After the improvements, project organizers polled locals and found 80 percent said they were more likely to use the plaza. Neighbors have since begun work on a second plaza nearby.

Phoenix, AZ

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017

Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement

Description: Chicas Por La Causa sought to install a crosswalk near a busy, six-lane intersection in the Maryvale neighborhood. Project organizers heard from residents that they avoid crossing the street near the Casa de Primavera -- an apartment complex for low-income residents -- because they fear getting hit by passing cars. To address this, CPLC Staff and community members collected pedestrian data to demonstrate a need for traffic calming measures to ensure safety. That allowed them to argue their case to City officials, who ultimately decided to install two flashing beacons at intersections, which help make people crossing the street more visible to drivers.