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Dream Center Evansville (2022) Print
2022 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Transportation
└ Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
└ Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
This project painted the intersection of North Main and West Michigan streets to improve visibility. It also repaired sidewalks and curbs on nearby streets, where there is a high percentage of older adults.
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Harrisonville, MO
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
Description: City Park's disconnected sidewalks forced pedestrians, including older adults, onto roads, raising safety concerns and limiting access to amenities. The city installed 862 feet of concrete sidewalk, added benches, planted trees and placed signage. This created a continuous path that links park features and an ADA-accessible playground. The improvements make walking safer and encourage physical activity and social interaction. "The new park sidewalk allows me to walk early in the morning without fear of being in the street... I love it!" said one resident, reflecting the project's lasting impact on accessibility and community engagement.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Tuba City, AZ
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
Description: The Nanees'Dizi Chapter government serves nearly 10,000 members of the Navajo Nation. Recently, the Chapter redid its headquarters to offer an incubation space for local vendors, artists and businesses, including adding an outdoor market. Change Labs hoped to help residents access this space, so they installed new steps and a handrail. Ahead of the work, Change Labs met with older adults in the community to understand their needs. Organizers say the project sparked a community conversation about needed infrastructure upgrades. It also strengthened relationships between local business owners and government leaders.
Cedar City, UT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
Description: The Iron City Tourism Bureau hoped to improve walkability along three blocks of the Cedar City's University Boulevard. To do this, the organization created an artistic crosswalk at a busy intersection, which both beatified the crossing and made it more visible to drivers. The Bureau also commissioned a mural nearby to commemorate the city's connection to Utah's national parks. To encourage people to walk and gather, they installed benches along the boulevard. New signs directed pedestrians to nearby attractions and services. Following the improvements, the Bureau reported slower traffic speeds. More murals and crosswalk art are in the works and the Bureau is advocating for bike lanes in the neighborhood.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Evansville, IN
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Walk Audits
Description: Broken sidewalks and missing curb cuts made everyday walking unsafe for older adults and people with disabilities in northern Jacobsville, limiting access to services and healthcare. Jacobsville Area Community Corporation led sidewalk audits across more than 70 blocks with the city engineer, documenting conditions and creating a system to rank safety concerns and estimate repair needs. A volunteer recalled seeing a wheelchair user forced to turn back at an intersection with no curb cut. By turning observations into documented data, the project gave the city a practical framework to prioritize repairs and plan long-term improvements that support safer walking and independence.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Evansville, IN
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Trails
Description: Many trails in this urban old-growth forest were inaccessible for visitors with limited mobility, leaving older adults unable to enjoy nature. The project converted 435 feet of degraded trail into a raised boardwalk with safety rails, added an ADA-compliant bench and installed signage. Volunteers age 50-plus helped prepare and build the trail, which now connects the Nature Center to animal exhibits and a towering tulip tree. The upgrade has prompted visits from assisted living groups and mobility device users, inspiring plans for more accessible trails. "We want more!" said one group after experiencing the new Mini-Loop Trail.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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