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Sisseton Arts Council (2020) Print
2020 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Public space activation
└ Public space activation
To encourage residents to walk and increase the vibrancy of Sisseton's downtown, The Sisseton Arts Council created a new community gathering spot, which they dubbed the Midway Green Space. The site features a sculpture of a reflective, eight-point star, designed to represent the area's native Dakota and Scandinavian immigrant heritage. To make the Green Space inviting to visitors, volunteers installed granite benches and seeded native grasses. Since these improvements, project organizers secured funding for a second sculpture for the site, created by a local Native artist.
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See More Projects Like This One
Mobile, AL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: Organizers with Via Health, Fitness and Enrichment Center envisioned a community green space where Mobile residents of all ages can interact. This project added two gazebos to the space, providing visitors with shade. Project organizers also installed a bike rack and dog watering station onsite and volunteers constructed a raised garden bed for growing flowers, herbs and vegetables. Since the transformation, Midtown Meets has become a meetup spot for local walking and biking clubs, a space for college students to take study breaks and a place for older adults to socialize. In addition, a new volunteer group, called Midtown Neighbors, continues to meet to work in the community garden beds.
Columbia, SC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: As part of efforts to activate space and increase the vitality of Columbia's downtown, this project created the city's first parklet. Parklets transform on-street parking spaces into public gathering spaces. Originally intended to be temporary, Columbia's miniature park consists of a ground-level, fenced-in deck featuring an art installation, a cafe table and chairs and new planters. While several nearby restaurants lack outdoor seating space, the parklet remedied this, giving visitors a space to eat and socialize. To gather public feedback about the new space, city staff displayed a QR code onsite, which linked to an online survey. Spurred by the success of this project, organizers made plans to add more parklets downtown. City staff have also looked into creating a parklet ordinance, which would allow local businesses to create similar spaces in the future.
Jackson, WY
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: As part of efforts to activate a new green space in downtown Jackson, the Jackson Hole Land Trust commissioned local artists to design benches for the space. All three benches meet ADA accessibility standards, with designs that encourage visitors to sit, touch and climb. Project organizers installed the seating ahead of a grand opening celebration for the Greenspace on the Block, a conservation easement that features walking trails and provides an outdoor venue for community activities.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Roslyn, SD
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: This project will support site preparation for the new Veterans Memorial Park, part of Main Street revitalization efforts. Improvements will include brick and concrete work, sidewalk construction and tree planting.
Webster, SD
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Public places
Description: Day County does not have a curbside recycling pick-up program for its residents. To give the rural county opportunities to recycle, the Day County Recycling Team and Conservation District purchased a recycling trailer. Residents can now drop off recyclable materials, such as plastic bottles, at the trailer's location in the county seat of Webster. The Conservation District board tracks how often the 25-cubit ton trailer needs emptying to better understand local demand for recycling services. To familiarize residents with recycling, project organizers also posted signs with instructions and published recycling guidance in local newspapers.
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