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Miami-Dade County, FL

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023

Project Category: Housing Choice Design Competitions

Description: In an effort to encourage construction of accessory dwelling units for infill housing, this project will launch an ADU design competition. The contest will recognize designs that emphasize sustainability, affordability and accessibility with a focus on providing homes for people aged 50.

Chelmsford, MA

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022

Project Category: Inclusive public space improvements

Description: Organizers with the Chelmsford Public Library set out to recognize indigenous peoples' contributions throughout local history. To do this, the library installed informational kiosks. Additionally, they constructed five freestanding mini free libraries along local walking paths. To further engage residents, they also hosted educational programing focusing on arts and history.

Birmingham, AL

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017

Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement

Description: REV Birmingham worked to improve a portion of 1st Avenue South in the Woodlawn neighborhood and commercial district. Along that stretch, speeding vehicles often posed a danger to pedestrians and cyclists. REV chose two blocks for a three-week test of a Compete Street design, reducing the street from four lanes in each direction to two. Reclaiming the space from the removed lanes, they added bike lanes, prominent crosswalks and parallel parking for cars. The organization used the experiment to gather data to substantiate the value of Complete Street conversions. In 2020, REV began working with city officials on several other projects to reclaim streets for pedestrian use.

Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects

Columbus, OH

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022

Project Category: Inclusive civic engagement efforts

Description: Central Ohio is home to a large Bhutanese migrant population. This project set out to help women from this community access community resources -- including libraries, parks and public transportation. The Bhutanese Community of Central Ohio held a series of trainings for older Bhutanese women, providing transportation to participants.

Columbus, OH

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020

Project Category: Public place improvements to withstand extreme weather events

Description: To reduce the urban heat island effect, Friends of the lower Olentangy Watershed planted large canopy trees at an elementary school playground and near a housing complex. The area has traditionally lacked tree cover, with the nearby properties having the least canopy cover of any residential area in the local watershed. The new trees increased the local canopy from 7 percent to 22 percent -- the average for Columbus as a whole. Volunteers -- including local Scouts -- helped plant the trees. In addition, project organizers installed benches at the playground to provide a respite to teachers, children and families using the playground equipment.

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