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Fern Ridge Public Library (2021) Print
2021 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Public space activation
└ Public space activation
During the COVID-19 pandemic, staff at the Fern Ridge Public Library were determined to offer a safe outdoor space for residents to congregate. When a large, centuries-old Heritage Oak tree fell on library grounds, they took the opportunity to construct a courtyard, enlisting local artists to create benches from the tree's wood. To make the space inviting, volunteers planted native Oregonian plants and laid down gravel to create an accessible pathway. What had been a weed-covered yard became a peaceful seating area for casual meetings, quiet reading and public performances.
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Tallahassee, FL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: The Goodwood Museum and Gardens revitalized a historic roller rink, transforming it into a gathering space for outdoor activities. The rink -- originally built in 1916 -- sat vacant for years, but the Museum saw potential for the 10,000-square-foot site. Accessibility was a main goal for project organizers, so the Museum installed an ADA-compliant sidewalk, ramp and handrails. They also added lighting to increase safety at the site, levelled the rink's concrete surface, added landscaping and upgraded electrical wiring. These enhancements attracted community partners to the space, including the Irish Repertory Theater and the Southern Shakespeare Company. Today the site hosts a monthly live performance featuring local musicians, along with other community activities.
Gastonia, NC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: The Gaston County Department of Health and Human Services beautified a public space near Gastonia's Schiele Museum and the town's library. To encourage residents to get out and walk, the Department added a sidewalk mural at the library, which depicts astronauts on a spacewalk. Museum staff installed an outdoor exhibit about the Solar System. In addition, project organizers commissioned a local metalworks shop to create benches with a celestial theme. Other placemaking enhancements included adding planters and new graphic designs to adorn the nearby transit shelter, as well an amenity map display to help visitors locate nearby trails and greenspace.
Chicago, IL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: Public plazas are not always grand sometimes they can make a big impact in a tiny space. The Rogers Park Business Alliance and other project organizers purchased a pop-up People Spot from the nearby Chicago neighborhood of Andersonville. The Alliance then deployed the People Spot on Clark Street, with the aim of amping up pedestrian engagement along Rogers Parks' commercial corridor. Also known as a parklet, the mini plaza extends from the sidewalk in what would otherwise be a parking space. Featuring new wood benches and greenery, the parklet offers visitors a pleasant spot to rest or eat lunch. In the future, the Alliance will move the pop-up plaza to different locations throughout the Rogers Park neighborhood.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Eugene, OR
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017
Project Category: Accessory dwelling units, tiny homes and manufactured housing
Description: SquareOne Villages constructed two ADA-compliant tiny houses at Emerald Village Eugene, a permanently affordable tiny home co-op. The 1.1 acre location features 22 tiny houses, ranging in size from 160- to 288-square-feet. Each contains a kitchenette, bathroom and sleeping and living areas. Private donations and in-kind contributions by local architects, builders and others funded the project, with future residents contributed their labor during construction. As a result, construction costs came to around 55,000 per unit, including the price of the land. The monthly cost to residents ranges from 200 to 300 and covers utilities, maintenance, operating costs and common spaces. As members of a housing cooperative, the residents own shares in the village, enabling each to receive some money if they choose to move out. To promote diverse housing options, organization also hosted two workshops on accessory dwellings unit in Eugene.
Eugene, OR
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Digital Connectivity for Disasters
Description: Frequent power outages in Eugene left older adults without reliable communication during emergencies, creating safety risks and isolation. The council installed two permanent emergency Wi-Fi hubs and a mobile unit, distributed 50 solar or rechargeable power packs and educated residents on using these resources. These improvements strengthened disaster preparedness and digital connectivity, ensuring access to vital information and contact with loved ones. Residents reported feeling safer and more connected, with plans to replicate the program citywide. One participant said, "We can send messages and let our children know how we are doing."
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