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Sound Generations (2019) Print
2019 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Transportation
└ Engaging people in transportation options/safety
└ Engaging people in transportation options/safety
To increase their independence and mobility, Sound Generations partnered with antipoverty organization Hopelink to help residents understand and access local public transportation options. The two organizations hosted a guided excursion for a small group of older adults. They helped build participants' confidence using buses and light rail to reach cultural and educational sites, outdoor events and social services agencies. Excursion leaders gave instruction in tasks such as using fare machines and planning a trip with the King County Metro app. To accommodate non-native English speakers, they also provided translators. Today, Hopelink continues to provide resources to help older adults navigate public transportation.
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Bloomfield, NJ
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018
Project Category: Engaging people in transportation options/safety
Description: To identify challenges facing pedestrians, the Bloomfield Department of Health and Human Services conducted a walk audit. They invited community members to travel through town on foot, logging street features that made walking feel unsafe. Additionally, the Department held public meetings to gather community input. These community engagement efforts resulted in several recommendations to improve walkability. In response, the Department launched its WALK Bloomfield program, which established walking routes meant to be safe and enjoyable. As part of that initiative, the Township installed JobClocks -- special electronic devices -- in seven locations about Bloomfield. This allows walkers carrying a fob to automatically log the time it takes to walk from one JobClock to the next. Overall, organizers hope the efforts grow a pedestrian culture in Bloomfield.
Minneapolis, MN
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018
Project Category: Engaging people in transportation options/safety
Description: To help people become less reliant on driving to get around, Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota hosted Bikeable Community Workshops in eight municipalities. Each workshop provided community leaders with resources to make their neighborhoods more accessible and bikeable. Participants included elected officials, city staff, local nonprofits and small business owners. Following the events, BikeMN team members provided on-the-ground technical assistance and expertise to the eight host communities. Participating community leaders and bicycle advocates also formed steering committees to work on bike-friendly community goals going forward.
Providence, RI
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Engaging people in transportation options/safety
Description: This project will support the Walk, Talk Chalk series, which will conduct six walk audits of local neighborhoods and engage community members by using sidewalk chalk to mark recommended infrastructure improvements.
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Seattle, WA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Digital navigation skills
Description: This project will provide digital literacy classes to Latino immigrant workers. This will give lower-income residents access to computers and improve their technology skills, allowing them to access job opportunities.
Seattle, WA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017
Project Category: Engaging residents alongside thought leaders in problem solving
Description: Seattle's city government invited technology specialists, designers and older adults to take part in a weekend hackathon. Participants brainstormed ways to use public data and technology to understand the built environment and improve the lives of Seattle's older adult residents. The City offered cash prizes to teams with winning ideas. Team Pandora for Streets took home the top prize for their map that used unusual crowdsourced data to evaluate the urban environment, such as street-level smells and noises. Other winning projects used crowdsourced bus stop data to evaluate accessibility and visualized needed repairs to Seattle's sidewalk network. Part of the Age-Friendly Seattle initiative, the civic hackathon reflects Seattle's commitment to becoming a livable community for people of all ages and abilities, Candice Faber, the city's civic technology advocate, said.
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