Cleveland, OH

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: The May Dugan Center, which serves low-income older adults in Cleveland's Ohio City neighborhood, hoped to create a welcoming gathering space for its Seniors on the Move program. To make the Center's outdoor area accessible, organizers outfitted the space with four ADA-compliant picnic tables. Additionally, the Center provided program participants with herb garden kits, allowing them to create windowsill gardens in their homes. Ultimately, organizers hope experience tending the kits will help SOTM participants hone their gardening skills, which they will use to plant flower beds and raised vegetable plots at the Center. This project is part of the nonprofit's larger mission to help older adults manage their financial, physical and emotional wellbeing, allowing them to safely age in place.

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.

Lawrence, TN

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: Downtown Lawrenceburg wanted to create inviting low-impact activities that encouraged older adults to walk, socialize and stay engaged. Tee'd Up Downtown, a portable mini golf course, turned the square into a playful walking experience with custom holes, accessible putters and wayfinding signs guiding participants through more than a mile of downtown. Older adults lingered, visited shops and moved at their own pace. A grandfather said the course let him and his grandson "take their time... and play in a way that worked for both of them." The project boosted foot traffic and sparked broader discussions about improving pedestrian-focused public space design.

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