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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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See More Projects Like This One
Gooding, ID
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: The Gooding Public Library Foundation converted an unused area of West Park into a community commons. Located near Gooding's library, city hall and police station, the site now features accessible picnic tables, shade canopies and lidded trash cans. The library now uses the site for a variety of activities, including story time and science experiments. Library patrons, workers on lunch break and other community members also gather in the space. The library now plans to install a little free library in the park.
Charleston, SC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: The American College of the Building Arts installed benches and a new pergola to create a multigenerational gathering space at the Community's Hope Impact Center, a local community center. The College saw the installation process as an opportunity for education, holding workshops on masonry where volunteers helped lay bricks for the space's walkway. With a goal of preserving, enriching and educating about architectural heritage, the organization trains artisans in traditional building crafts, such as carpentry and forging architectural iron. It was founded in the wake of Hurricane Hugo in 1989, which damaged or destroyed much of coastal South Carolina's historic architecture.
Belchertown, MA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: A revitalized walkway near the Senior Center lacked seating, discouraging older adults and those with cognitive impairments from taking longer walks. To address this, six sturdy benches were installed along Carriage Drive, secured on concrete slabs and surrounded by grass. Outreach included a ribbon-cutting event that drew residents age 50-plus. The benches now offer safe resting spots, encouraging more time outdoors and improving well-being. Plans for additional benches are underway. One participant said she was proud to live in a town that invests in projects showing care for older adults.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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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