Neillsville, WI

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: Older adults and disabled residents asked for a safe place to rest along a busy walking trail. The Neillsville Improvement Corporation turned a brushy creekside patch into an accessible spot that makes short walks doable for people who need frequent breaks. Crews cleared brush and graded the site. They added an accessible path, sturdy picnic table, a bench with a view of the creek, plus a waste bin and signage. Use jumped right away. The project is prompting plans to extend the trail and add more rest areas, with a grant application underway and a bike and pedestrian plan slated for 2026. Older and disabled residents say they are more likely to walk when places to rest are available.

Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.

Boise, ID

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: Through seven pop-up placemaking events, this project enlivened the downtown area with outdoor games and activities.

Springfield, MO

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: In the 1980s, many businesses moved out of Springfield's downtown. But in recent years, a new generation of entrepreneurs, artists and gig workers have begun repopulating the city's main commercial district. In light of the area's new vibrancy, the Commercial Street Community Improvement District is working to market the area and tell its story. The CID created a series of parklets with outdoor seating to give visitors a space to socialize and relax. They also commissioned a local artist to create a mural, using community feedback to inform the final design. The mural fits within a larger street art project. CID organizers say they hope these improvements will help the community develop a renewed sense of place.