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La Crosse Area Family YMCA (2018) Print
2018 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Public space activation
└ Public space activation
La Crosse's food forest produces fruit and vegetables for the community, helps absorb stormwater runoff and serves as a communal gathering place. The forest, however, did not have seating along its many paths. To beautify the forest and give visitors a place to rest, the La Crosse Area Family YMCA created artistic benches. Younger people worked with older adult mentors to design, assemble and decorate each bench. Many pay homage to the forest, featuring images of plants and vegetables. Project organizers say the public art effort fostered intergenerational cohesion, and residents consider the new benches to be source of community pride.
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Clarkesville, GA
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Project Category: Public space activation
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Sheridan, WY
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: Several years ago, the Powder River Basin Resource Council created a food forest -- a space that gives the community access to fresh produce, including fruit, berries and vegetables. However, the space lacked accessibility features, making it difficult for older adults and people with mobility challenges to visit. To make the food forest more inviting, the council asked a local craftsman to design benches, which give people a place to pause and relax as they walk through the gardens. They also installed solar lighting, which allows visitors to use the forest after dark. Plans to expand the food forest are now underway. The council is working with an elder from the Northern Cheyenne community to create a Native food garden onsite.
Orleans Parish, LA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Public space activation
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Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
La Crosse, WI
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Housing Choice Design Competitions
Description: This project will launch an accessory dwelling unit design competition to promote affordable residential development, with a focus on older adults' housing needs. Winning designs will serve as models for ADU construction, expediting the approval process for homeowners.
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AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
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