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
Chillicothe, OH
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: The City of Chillicothe transformed a neglected lot in the Sixth Ward into its first neighborhood park, addressing a lack of green space in an area with high obesity rates and low life expectancy. The new pocket park features ADA-compliant walkways, benches, picnic tables and a playground, all within a fenced, well-lit space. Residents now have a safe place to gather and stay active, with one grandmother sharing that her grandkids "are so excited to walk to the park and play" while she enjoys sitting nearby.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Westbrook, ME
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2026
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: Movable seating, outdoor games and small upgrades will be added to underused public spaces downtown. These changes will support longer visits, social gatherings and everyday use while connecting people to nearby shops and events.
Madison, MN
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2026
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: Improvements at the community skating rink will add an accessible exterior door, covered ADA-compliant seating and secure storage. These upgrades will residents to comfortably watch activities, stay sheltered from weather and remain connected.
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.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Putney, VT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2026
Project Category: Transportation Other
Description: The project will use walk audit findings to identify pedestrian safety improvements, including crosswalk testing, benches, signage and traffic calming. The effort will improve walkability in a busy downtown area for residents of all ages.
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