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Gaston County Department of Health and Human Services (2020) Print
2020 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Public space activation
└ Public space activation
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.
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See More Projects Like This One
New Orleans, LA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: A neighborhood playground in Musicians Village had fallen into disrepair, leaving older adults and families without a safe space to gather. Volunteers replaced damaged equipment and added two new play structures. They also installed an accessible picnic table and built a new fence to restore safety and appeal. Monthly cleanups removed hazards like broken glass, and community events drew residents back to the park. The upgrades transformed the site into a welcoming space for multigenerational activity. This prompted additional city funding for future improvements, signaling long-term investment in neighborhood livability.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Avoca, IA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: Avoca's Main Street already had green space and places to sit, but Avoca Public Library organizers wanted to give residents a reason to spend time downtown. To invite people in, they installed oversized, weather-proof musical instruments outside the library. Since the instruments don't require any training or talent to play, they are popular with residents of all ages. Part of the town's creative placemaking plans, the new music park is located near the site of Avoca's weekly summer farmer's market. "It's a fun part of the town now," Avoca resident Sunshine Schoeller said.
Bath, ME
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: Organizers with Age-Friendly Communities of Lower Kennebec and City of Bath hoped to create inclusive public spaces for residents of all ages to enjoy. They worked with students to install outdoor chess and checkers tables at a new downtown plaza and a near a local assisted living facility. The tables are ADA accessible include benches designed for people of all ages and abilities. A spectator bench allows onlookers to take a seat and watch the players. To ensure all community members can play, game sets are available for loan at the local library and nearby businesses.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Gastonia, NC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: The Highland neighborhood lacked a safe outdoor space for older adults, as overgrown land and debris limited use of the existing garden. Keep Gastonia Beautiful expanded the garden by clearing the wooded area, adding accessible raised beds, installing ADA-friendly paths and placing new seating and fencing. Volunteers helped build structures and prepare the site while community workshops encouraged participation. The improvements increased safety, supported gardening and social activities and laid the groundwork for long-term features like shade structures and art installations. These are expected to strengthen the space as a gathering place for older adults.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Charlotte, NC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: Before the advent of air conditioning, a Southern home was not complete without a front porch with a swing. To replicate the experience of gathering on a porch, the City of Charlotte installed swings at two bus stops in place of the more traditional bench. Located along Belmont Avenue -- a corridor where many older adults rely on public transportation -- the two-person swings provide a space for riders to socialize as they wait for their bus. Inspired by the popularity of the swings, the City is exploring other opportunities for placemaking around local bus stops.
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