AARP Hearing Center
AARP Livable Communities Map
North Carolina Main Street & Rural Planning Center (2021) Print
2021 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Community Health and Economic Empowerment
└ Entrepreneurship and improved economic resilience
└ Entrepreneurship and improved economic resilience
This project created a toolkit to grow local tourism along the Main-to-Main Trail. The trail winds across North Carolina, connecting more than 60 Main Street communities to showcase public art and murals, local food and cultural history and experiences. North Carolina Main Street hoped to build capacity among participating communities, helping them identify their assets and create an economic development strategy. To do this, they created a template for a tourism itinerary, which visitors can follow to find local attractions. They also developed a playbook for affective social media marketing. Since publishing the toolkit, the Rural Planning center has provided guidance on photography, videography and destination writing. Additionally, they are helping local small businessowners to better serve tourists.
Photo Gallery
Image:
Click on a photo to learn more
See More Projects Like This One
Augusta, GA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Entrepreneurship and improved economic resilience
Description: Music and farming are deep parts of Augusta's culture. To support Black musicians and farmers through agrotourism, Garden City Jazz created a series of outdoor concerts, dubbed Soul Soil. The concert series -- which took place at local farms -- featured performances by professional gospel, jazz and blues musicians and attracted visitors from all around the region. The series also sparked important conversations about the inequities Black farmers face. This resulted in new partnerships, as well as the creation of cooperatively owned farmers market.
Portland, ME
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Entrepreneurship and improved economic resilience
Description: Portland's historic downtown, with its brick sidewalks and preserved buildings, long limited access for older adults and residents with mobility challenges. Age-Friendly Portland's "Ramp Up for Accessibility" initiative provided portable ramps and wireless doorbells to 15 businesses, allowing patrons to enter or request help without altering protected structures. Participation in the city's Age-Friendly Business Program grew 40% as more shops displayed decals signaling their commitment to inclusion. At Mechanics' Hall, a new ramp now welcomes visitors to one of Portland's oldest cultural sites-proof that accessibility and preservation can thrive together, creating lasting visibility for a more inclusive downtown.
Houston, TX
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Entrepreneurship and improved economic resilience
Description: East African newcomers in Houston, many age 50-plus, face isolation and limited income despite deep farming knowledge. FAM Houston equipped 30 farmers with seeds, tools and supplies to sell crops at local markets, creating a Farmers Market Team and piloting biweekly sales. The effort boosted production by 50%, improved nutrition and gave participants a sense of belonging. Surveys show income gains and better health outcomes, and farmers shared cultural knowledge with customers. "When you share the ideas with people, it feels good... it makes me happy," said Emmaculata, reflecting on teaching market shoppers how to cook cassava leaves.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Raleigh, NC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Bike Audits
Description: Older adults in Raleigh faced unsafe biking conditions and missing sidewalks, limiting mobility and access to transit. Oaks and Spokes launched bike audits on key corridors, engaging older residents and students to document hazards. Findings prompted City Council to adopt protected bike lanes on Brookside Drive and plan sidewalk improvements. A second audit on Garner Road highlighted urgent safety gaps and drew council attention during a live stream. These efforts accelerated infrastructure changes and built advocacy momentum for safer, age-friendly streets.
Greenville, NC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Engaging people in transportation options/safety
Description: Greenville lacked a safe space for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists to learn traffic rules, leaving older adults without options to practice essential skills. BikeWalkNC addressed this by creating the Greenville/Winterville Traffic Garden, a permanent painted street layout for hands-on safety education. The project included signage, a dedication event and integration into a statewide transportation summit. This lasting resource supports Vision Zero goals and offers older adults a protected space to refresh driving and cycling skills. As one leader said, "We want to improve the community so that everyone can be safe and live a higher-quality life in a place that is safe and accessible."
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 North Carolina State Office
5511 Capital Center Drive
Suite 400
Raleigh, NC 27606
United States