AARP Hearing Center
AARP Livable Communities Map
See More Projects Like This One
Houston, TX
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017
Project Category: Public art installations
Description: To increase walkability and create a safe, beautiful gathering space, Avenue CDC engaged a local artist, local schoolchildren and residents to create a 600-foot mural. The wall selected for the artwork was off-putting and had been vandalized many times. But the site also acted as the entry point to the Northline neighborhood, since the wall faces the nearby light rail station. The mural's design pays homage to local Latino culture and the history of the neighborhood. As the mural reached its completion, Hurricane Harvey hit Houston and project organizers were able to repurpose leftover grant funds to help with recovery and rebuilding.
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.
Havre, MT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2026
Project Category: Public art installations
Description: Public art installations will be commissioned downtown near an alley already used for murals and events. The artwork will add visual interest to shared spaces and highlight the area's cultural history.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Houston, TX
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2026
Project Category: Walk Audits
Description: Two walk audits will examine a short corridor connecting older adults to local community services. Resident input will guide the placement of lighting and rest stops.
Houston, TX
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
Description: Many residents of Houston's Gulfton neighborhood do not own cars, making walking, cycling and public transit use common in the area -- one of the most diverse in the city. But street infrastructure didn't exist to protect cyclists from street traffic. To demonstrate the value of streetscape improvements, the City set up a pop-up bike lane on Westward Street near a local elementary school. First, the City developed a pop-up toolkit, consisting of chalk, paint, stencils and traffic cones. They then used these to create bike lanes on both sides of the street, with plans to conduct more low-cost, temporary pop-ups in the future. During the Westward Street demonstration, the City conducted a survey of residents. Following the success of the temporary bike lanes, the City broke ground on a permanent street redesign project nearby. Planners expect permanent protected bike lanes to be installed along the stretch where the demonstration took place.
LEARN MORE AND STAY INFORMED
Find articles and resources about making communities more livable for people of all ages
Download or order free publications from AARP Livable Communities
Sign up for the free, weekly, award-winning AARP Livable Communities eNewsletter
Don't see your community listed?
LEARN HOW IT CAN JOIN THE NETWORKConnect with your AARP State Office
AARP has offices in all 50 states as well as in the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
AARP Texas State Office
1905 Aldrich St
Suite 210
Austin, TX 78723
United States