Ashton, MD

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: Older adults in Montgomery County faced health disparities and food insecurity, with few accessible spaces for gardening and exercise. The organization added 12 raised garden beds and seating areas to its community garden, creating a space where participants grow fresh produce and connect. The garden promotes healthy eating and social ties, reducing isolation. One 97-year-old participant, unable to garden for two years due to back and knee problems, said she is "so happy and anxiously awaiting for the season to start."

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

New Haven, CT

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: New Haven's older adults lacked outdoor seating, leaving older adults without safe, accessible places to rest or socialize at local community centers. The department installed ADA-compliant benches at three centers and created mental health resource materials for distribution. Volunteers guided bench placement and unveiling events. The project improved accessibility, encouraged social interaction and sparked collaboration between city departments. Feedback praised the benches as "a good way to have conversation and fellowship" and "great when you are waiting for your ride."

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

San Juan, PR

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: In Santurce's Machuchal sector, a vacant lot once central to cultural celebrations fell into disrepair after Hurricane Maria, leaving older adults without a place to gather. Through participatory design workshops, residents and architecture students envisioned a space that reflects community traditions. The project delivered a round bench with a tree planter, a mural wall with integrated instruments and a circular platform for music and festivals, along with improved gardens and paths. The revitalized site now hosts cultural events and fosters intergenerational ties. "I played...here as a child," one resident shared as she happily reminisced, underscoring the joy of reclaiming a space that preserves heritage amid gentrification pressures.

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