AARP Hearing Center
AARP Livable Communities Map
Downtown Brattleboro Alliance (2020) Print
2020 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Public space activation
└ Public space activation
Residents considered the Brattleboro Transportation Center's parking garage to be ugly and uninviting. To change this, the Downtown Brattleboro Alliance worked with local artists to create signage for each level of the garage. The new signs feature a different animal for each level, with each creature -- the osprey, river otter, American shad and sea lamprey -- significant to the Abenaki indigenous community and the Connecticut River ecosystem. Additionally, the Alliance held a pop-up event in the garage's elevator to display the prototype for a new Ask the River kinetic sculpture. Visitors to the garage could view the sculpture and give their feedback. Today, the full-size version of the artwork decorates the facade of the Transportation Center building.
Photo Gallery
Image:
Click on a photo to learn more
See More Projects Like This One
Forest City, NC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: Older residents in Grahamtown lacked safe, comfortable outdoor spaces, making it hard to join events or enjoy gardens without worrying about fatigue or sun exposure. The team installed benches, picnic tables and planters at parks, gardens and community spaces. Volunteers also added address plates for safety. These changes gave older adults places to rest and socialize, strengthened community engagement and even prompted the addition of street lighting. Residents say the improvements make them feel valued and included in revitalization efforts.
Aibonito, PR
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: This project will restore the plaza in El Campito, adding non-slip flooring, lighting repairs, ergonomic benches, outdoor exercise equipment, and tables for dominoes or chess.
Lynchburg, VA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: To organizers with the Downtown Lynchburg Association, an underused, dead-end street had potential to draw visitors downtown. The Association transformed the space into Art Alley -- a vibrant, outdoor art gallery. To activate the space, volunteers covered the pavement in turquoise, orange, pink and green paint. They also set up string lights overhead to provide illumination. Finally, they created the Spark Joy Gallery by installing panels that display digital artworks. Project organizers say the placemaking effort has since inspired nearby property owners to spruce up their building facades, and the Art Alley has become a must-see for tourists passing through town.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Brattleboro, VT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Engaging residents in vibrant public places
Description: After catastrophic flooding exposed gaps in river access and safety, Brattleboro residents-many age 50-plus-joined the Face the River initiative to shape a new riverside park and learn floodplain science. The project delivered bird walks, river ecology workshops and mindfulness sessions, along with tours of restoration sites that engaged over 100 participants. Their insights are guiding permanent projects with ADA trails and amenities, underscoring the need for trails near downtown. The effort sparked lasting momentum for inclusive recreation and resilience planning.
Keene, NH
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Housing Choice Design Competitions
Description: Southwest New Hampshire faces a housing shortage that leaves older adults with few options to age in place. To address this, the commission launched an ADU Design Challenge using real homeowner case studies instead of generic sites. The effort drew 30 submissions for 11 sites, hosted an awards event with 100 attendees and created a web page showcasing designs and resources. Interest was strong, with 75 homeowners volunteering as case study sites, and architects from across New England participating. The challenge sparked conversations about statewide replication and policy reform. One organizer said homeowners' gratitude for the project "was unwavering."
LEARN MORE AND STAY INFORMED
Find articles and resources about making communities more livable for people of all ages
Download or order free publications from AARP Livable Communities
Sign up for the free, weekly, award-winning AARP Livable Communities eNewsletter
Don't see your community listed?
LEARN HOW IT CAN JOIN THE NETWORKConnect with your AARP State Office
AARP has offices in all 50 states as well as in the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
AARP Vermont State Office
199 Main Street
Suite 225
Burlington, VT 05401
United States