Chilton, WI

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: The Chilton Public Library was looking to expand its reach beyond the walls of the library building. To give residents an intergenerational activity, library staff installed two bilingual story walks -- one at Chilton Elementary School and the other outside a local nature center. Additionally, the library created two portable story walks, which staff can set up at community events and playgrounds around Calumet County. The walks consist of several display stations installed along a trail or path. Library staff display storybook pages in each kiosk, allowing families to meander along the trail, piecing together the parts of the story as they go. A team of volunteers maintains the story walks, which display books in Spanish and English.

Dayton, OH

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: This project will transform four vacant lots into a recreational space for older adults. Amenities will include a walking path, tables, benches and a shelter house.

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.