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Greenville County Parks, Recreation & Tourism (2020) Print
2020 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Public space activation
└ Public space activation
Greenville County's Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department created a backyard space to the Berea Community Center. A new walking path loop connects the center to new amenities, with include swinging benches, horseshoe pits and a community garden space. The site also features improved landscaping. Project organizers constructed beds for the gardens at a variety of heights -- including three wheelchair-accessible pull-up beds -- to accommodate visitors of different ability levels.
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Mount Airy, NC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: Market Street lacked accessible seating and amenities, limiting its appeal for older adults and reducing opportunities for social interaction. The city installed picnic tables, two fully accessible benches, bike racks, recycling containers and decorative lighting to create a welcoming plaza. These upgrades encourage outdoor dining, leisure and mobility for people of all ages. Residents and business owners praised the changes for making the area more inviting. The city plans to promote the space for festivals and events, ensuring continued use and intergenerational appeal.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Albuquerque, NM
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: The weekly La Familia Growers Market in the Dolores Huerta Gateway Park provides South Valley residents with locally grown produce. To support the market's role as a culturally significant gathering space, project organizers purchased tables, chairs, a storage shed and cafe-style lights. They also procured materials to construct a horno -- a traditional outdoor oven made of adobe. Since then, the market has hosted free weekly musical performances and traditional cooking workshops, as well as the La Familia Growers Market Harvest Festival, attended by more than 500 people. In addition, project organizers conducted interviews with older community members - part of an oral history project.
Richmond, VA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: To increase residents' access to outdoor greenspace and bolster the local economy, Richmond Venture created the Brooklyn Park Boulevard parklet. Located in a primarily Black-owned business corridor, the mini-park sites in the footprint of an on-street parking space. Volunteers outfitted the space with seating and tables, giving visitors a place to relax and socialize. Organizers say the space encourages residents to purchase food and beverages from nearby restaurants, which they can eat onsite. To encourage people to visit, Venture Richmond also installed a bike rack nearby.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Greenville, SC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: Walker Park -- a pocket park in the West Greenville neighborhood -- is a popular gathering place for residents, but the greenspace lacked accessibility features and shade. To address this, the City refurbished park benches and added an ADA-compliant shelter house with an entrance ramp. Additionally, they worked to give visitors more recreation options, replacing a dilapidated horseshoes pit and adding accessible game tables. Organizers say the additions help Greenville's older adults and intergenerational families take advantage of park amenities.
Greenville, SC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Addressing community health
Description: Food insecurity and limited access to preventive care left many older adults in Greenville vulnerable to chronic disease, a challenge worsened after Hurricane Helene. The Women of Worth program responded with bi-monthly health sessions offering screenings and fitness activities. It also distributed more than 360 boxes of fresh produce and expanded a hoop tunnel and community garden with raised beds for age-friendly gardening. These efforts improved nutrition and wellness for hundreds of older adults and engaged volunteers in growing over 200 pounds of vegetables. Plans include a second program site and a mobile food pantry. One participant said, "It gives me pleasure to see other older adults smile and have fun when they come into the office."
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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