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Westwood, NJ
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: To provide a safe and enjoyable gathering space, the Borough of Westwood created a parklet. Meant to sit in the footprint of a parking space, the parklet was designed to give people of all ages, ethnicities and socio-economic backgrounds a place to sit and relax in Westwood's central business district.
Pleasant Hill, MO
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: Limited seating in Pleasant Hill's park and recreation complex made it harder for older adults and people with mobility challenges to rest, watch events and stay engaged. The City of Pleasant Hill installed benches, picnic tables and a swing at both sites, placing them near paths and activity hubs to create reliable rest spots. Residents quickly reported benefits, noting it is easier to include family members with mobility needs and stay longer at gatherings. Early use highlighted demand for more seating and shade, guiding next steps as the city plans additional park improvements.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Dulce, NM
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: The project addressed the lack of accessible outdoor spaces where older adults could safely gather, exercise and connect. The team installed secured benches, picnic tables, pergola shades and concrete slabs that created a stable, comfortable place for daily use. These additions made the park more welcoming and supported regular outdoor activities. Residents stopped by during construction to ask about the progress and shared their excitement about enjoying meals and time outside next summer. The improvements reduced isolation, encouraged movement and set the stage for future additions such as new trees, lighting and grass that will expand the park's long-term benefits.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Akron, OH
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Lifelong housing and accessibility
Description: Summit County's housing crisis leaves families and older adults spending much of their income on shelter, limiting stability and aging in place. Habitat began building Silver Maple Ridge, a 16-home development with features like single-story layouts and blocking for grab bars. The project engaged more than 400 volunteers age 50-plus and educated 32 partner families. Three homes were completed and three more nearly so, and the effort prompted Akron's first new park in 40 years, adding green space for residents while creating long-term affordable housing.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Akron, OH
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Accessibility of amenities
Description: Akron's North Hill neighborhood is home to many Asian and Pacific Islander immigrants and refugees displaced by famine and war. Many immigrant families rent garden plots at Akron Cooperative Farms, with multiple generations working together to grow produce. To better meet the community's needs, Asian Services in Action constructed an enclosed pavilion for the cooperative's neighborhood farmers market. Asian Services in Action partnered with TRY Ministries -- which provides jobs skills training to formerly incarcerated people -- and the City of Akron stepped in to lay a level, concrete floor for the space. Replacing tents, the pavilion offers vendors and shoppers protection from inclement weather, as well as shade on sunny days. This makes the market more accessible, giving allowing residents to purchase culturally important fresh vegetables, which are often unavailable at local grocery stores. Project organizers say the pavilion will also offer a venue for community events.
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