AARP Hearing Center
AARP Livable Communities Map
Mat-Su Trails and Parks Foundation (2020) Print
2020 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Park enhancements
└ Park enhancements
In partnership with Great Land Trust and Matanuska-Susitna Borough, the Mat-Su Trails and Parks Foundation constructed an ADA-accessible, scenic overlook viewing platform at the newly opened Settlers Bay Coastal Park. The platform, which includes a safety railing and seating, allows visitors of all abilities to enjoy the panoramic views at Mat-Su Valley's first and only coastal park. Prior to the development of Settlers Bay Coastal Park, locals lacked access to public lands for outdoor recreation. At an unveiling event for the new platform, the Great Land Trust announced they had acquired an additional 180 acres of land adjacent to the existing park, expanding the total permanently protected land area to 500 acres.
Photo Gallery
Image:
Click on a photo to learn more
See More Projects Like This One
Windham, ME
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: Residents in Windham lacked safe, walkable spaces, making it hard for older adults to access public areas. To address this, the department upgraded a community park by adding a stone dust surface under a picnic pavilion, installing three ADA-compliant tables and building a 62-foot path to the parking lot. Volunteers age 50-plus helped with installation and joined the opening celebration. The pavilion now offers a shaded, accessible spot for socializing and watching park activities, supporting physical and emotional health for older adults. It also advances Age Friendly Windham's plan to improve public spaces and lays groundwork for a future GRACE Trail to encourage intergenerational recreation.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Salyersville, KY
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: Older adults lacked shaded seating in the community park, making walking trails and playground visits uncomfortable. The council installed canopies over 16 benches and added a sound system for the stage, creating shaded resting areas and enabling events. Volunteers contributed significant time to complete the improvements. "These improvements have been such a great addition to the park and should provide many years of enjoyment," said a local official. The upgrades transformed the park into a welcoming space for older adults and families, encouraging outdoor activity and social engagement.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Dallas, TX
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: As part of renovations to make the West Dallas Multipurpose Center accessible for people of all ages and abilities, the City of Dallas set out to improve a walking path on the center's grounds. A key goal: give older adults opportunities to exercise and spend time with their grandchildren. To achieve this, the city installed five ADA-compliant benches along the path, which runs alongside a playground. Project organizers say the benches increase walkability at the center, which offers Dallas residents social services, child care and other resources. The benches give visitors a place to rest as they stroll the walking path or supervise children as they play.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Palmer, AK
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Public art installations
Description: This project set out to create an arts and cultural trail in Palmer by installing four permanent pieces of art throughout town. To oversee the project -- including artist and site selection and community engagement -- the United Way of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough established a volunteer advisory board. They then selected four local artists. Once completed, the art will be displayed near affordable housing complexes, local business, trails and parks and at Palmer's public library. Each piece pays tribute to local history and identity, with one sculpture depicting the Matanuska Maid and a series of ceramic works evoking the flow and shape of the Alaska landscape.
Anchorage, AK
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Bike Audits
Description: Adaptive riders faced barriers on local trails, limiting access for older adults and people with disabilities. Chugach Mountain Bike Riders partnered with an adaptive-sports nonprofit to audit trails and busy access routes, marking the first time adaptive riders evaluated the system. The audits led to immediate upgrades and shaped a master plan to add 5 miles of adaptive paths and connect to a middle school. They also unlocked new grants and municipal funding for future projects. This project "opens up new recreational opportunities for our community... and builds an inclusive experience for all of us," said an adaptive rider.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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 Alaska State Office
3601 C Street
Suite 1420
Anchorage, AK 99503
United States