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Portland Downtown (2021) Print
2021 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Public space activation
└ Public space activation
Portland's central business district has a number of neglected alleyways and streetcorners. To make walking though downtown easier -- and to attract pedestrians to local businesses -- Portland Downtown activated these spaces. They enlisted residents of an assisted living facility created murals on old doors. They also brightened up two alleys with overhead lighting. Organizers say the project improved safety, created art and engaged local businesses, all while making once-derelict areas more welcoming.
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Des Moines, IA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: In the early to mid-1900s, the Waveland Trolley was an integral part of Des Moines' transportation system yet has long since been replaced by more modern options. The Des Moines Historical Society's Waveland Trolley Project set out to commemorate the city's rich history by transforming a long-neglected space into a walkable outdoor transit museum. The park-like setting is located on the former site of the trolley loop, where streetcars would turn around at the end of their route. The outdoor museum features benches, bike racks, panels displaying historical information and a life-sized sculpture of the Waveland Trolley.
San Diego, CA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: This project helped transform a vacant lot in San Diego's City Heights neighborhood into a vibrant gathering space for residents of all ages. To encourage community members of the dense, diverse neighborhood to connect with each other, the Community Development Corporation installed art at the new public space. Since this activation, the space continues to provide a spot for artists to display their work. Project organizers say although the installation was intended to be temporary, it reinforced the value of creating similar community spaces in the future.
Chicago, IL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: Public plazas are not always grand sometimes they can make a big impact in a tiny space. The Rogers Park Business Alliance and other project organizers purchased a pop-up People Spot from the nearby Chicago neighborhood of Andersonville. The Alliance then deployed the People Spot on Clark Street, with the aim of amping up pedestrian engagement along Rogers Parks' commercial corridor. Also known as a parklet, the mini plaza extends from the sidewalk in what would otherwise be a parking space. Featuring new wood benches and greenery, the parklet offers visitors a pleasant spot to rest or eat lunch. In the future, the Alliance will move the pop-up plaza to different locations throughout the Rogers Park neighborhood.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Portland, ME
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Housing Choice Design Competitions
Description: AIA Maine saw that many residents living in older homes needed clearer ways to plan for safe aging in place. Limited affordable options and uncertainty about how to adapt homes made it hard for people to understand their choices. The group hosted webinars on adaptable housing, aging in place and multigenerational design, then used its 207 HOME competition to surface practical ideas for one floor living and flexible layouts. Seventeen submissions highlighted ways older adults could remain safely housed while staying connected to their communities. A traveling exhibit will bring these examples to public venues and expand awareness. The competition also strengthened conversations with state partners about the housing needs of older adults. One collaborative team designed a series of small ADU style units to support shared living, and their enthusiasm reflected the value of generating ideas that can shape future policy and design.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Augusta, Bangor and Westbrook, ME
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
Description: To increase safety for pedestrians and cyclists, the Bicycle Coalition of Maine held a series of short-term traffic calming demonstrations in Bangor, North Yarmouth and Bangor. The pop-up installations increased the visibility of crosswalks and shortened crossing distances with simple, cost-effective tools. The Coalition deployed flexible lane delineators and pedestrian-crossing signs. They also painted pedestrian landings at crosswalks and added shared-lane markings -- called sharrows -- to street pavement. To gage the effectiveness of these activities, the organization collected survey responses and traffic data, which showed that traffic speeds decreased and pedestrians appreciated it. Project organizers say the demonstrations helped prove to municipal leaders that streets are for people -- not just people in cars -- and improving safety is possible without complex, expensive road construction.
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