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Baltimore, MD

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025

Project Category: Public art installations

Description: This project will create a large-scale mosaic mural. The project will involve community members in workshops, fostering artistic engagement and beautification in Baltimore's Park Heights neighborhood.

Austin, TX

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025

Project Category: Public art installations

Description: Along one stretch of an urban trail, users encountered a space that offered little reason to stop, reflect or connect with the area's past. BikeTexas addressed this by installing a large, multi-panel mural that depicts the neighborhood's early railroad history and the people who shaped it. Community members, including older adults, helped review the design, and professional artists completed the work as a highly visible landmark along the trail. The mural turned an overlooked segment into a place where older adults can pause, walk more comfortably and engage with local history rather than simply pass through. It also added a shared point of interest that encouraged conversation and repeat visits. One trail user said the artwork brightened her regular walks and changed how the space felt, reinforcing the mural's role as a welcoming destination along the trail.

Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.

Kailua, HI

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021

Project Category: Public art installations

Description: Hearing and recording the stories of elders is an important part of Hawaiian culture. Students and staff from the Kailua Intermediate School honored this heritage by painting a large mural facing Kailua District Park. The project launched with a Huaka'i (field experience), during which people of all ages visited historically significant sites in the community. Learning about local cultural practices and values, students heard mo'olelo (stories) from kupuna (elders) They then shared the stories with their peers, who joined in to design and paint the mural.

Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects

Raleigh, NC

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024

Project Category: Bike Audits

Description: Older adults in Raleigh faced unsafe biking conditions and missing sidewalks, limiting mobility and access to transit. Oaks and Spokes launched bike audits on key corridors, engaging older residents and students to document hazards. Findings prompted City Council to adopt protected bike lanes on Brookside Drive and plan sidewalk improvements. A second audit on Garner Road highlighted urgent safety gaps and drew council attention during a live stream. These efforts accelerated infrastructure changes and built advocacy momentum for safer, age-friendly streets.

Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.

Wake Forest, NC

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025

Project Category: Bike Audits

Description: The Town of Wake Forest examined why older adults and other residents interested in biking often avoid local streets due to disconnected and unsafe infrastructure. Through a series of bike audits involving volunteers from the Senior Center, participants documented where bike lanes end abruptly, crossings felt unsafe and routes failed to connect neighborhoods to greenways. The audits produced clear, location-specific findings and recommendations prepared for planning staff and elected officials. Volunteers noted that riders often gather downtown and then leave town to stay safe, highlighting missed opportunities for local travel. The results are positioned to inform age-friendly planning and support future investments such as safer crossings, clearer signage and expanded bike facilities.

Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.

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