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Main Street West Memphis (2019) Print
2019 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Public space activation
└ Public space activation
The town of West Memphis hoped to promote community connections, cycling and walking. To achieve this, the town set up three parklets in its Main Street District, located near an expanded bike trail that links West Memphis with neighboring Memphis, Tennessee. Parklets -- mini street oases created in the footprint of a parking space -- provide places to sit, talk and gather. The West Memphis parklets each feature LED lighting and public art. Sculptures created from donated bicycles distinguish two of the parklets. The other parklet features new wooden benches and an oversized sculpture of a guitar, meant to pay homage to the town's musical heritage.
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Cut Bank, MT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Public space activation
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Nevada, IA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: Main Street Nevada addressed the lack of comfortable, accessible places for residents to gather downtown, where limited shade and seating made it hard for older adults and people with physical limitations to spend time outdoors. An underused alleyway offered little reason to linger, even though it sat near everyday destinations. The project transformed the space into a functional patio by adding accessible seating, shade and a level surface that supports easier movement and rest. Picnic tables, umbrellas and plants helped define the area as a welcoming place to pause and connect. After opening, older adults and other residents began using the space for casual socializing, including nearby downtown residents, creating a new gathering spot that supports social connection.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Gastonia, NC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: 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.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
West Memphis, AR
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2026
Project Category: HomeFit Modifications
Description: Community trainings will teach older adults and their families how to use a home safety guide. Affordable products and demonstrations will support safer aging at home.
Memphis, TN
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Trails
Description: Big River Park lacked safe, accessible entry for older adults and visitors with mobility challenges. To address this, the project upgraded 50 feet of trail and added a circular gathering area with ADA-compliant washed gravel concrete and historic stone benches. These improvements created the park's only fully accessible river view, serving as a "welcome mat" for all visitors. Stakeholders praised the transformation, noting its visibility to nearly every guest and its role in making nature more inclusive.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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