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Afton, IA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: The City of Afton built a portable parklet, which City staff can easily set up around town. The temporary patio takes up the space of three on-street parking spaces and accommodates tables and chairs for a dozen people. It also includes shade sails to keep visitors out of the sun. Volunteers -- including local high school students -- constructed the parklet out of recycled wooden pallets. Designed to be broken down and stored for winter, the parklet offers extra outdoor seating for local restaurants parklet features shade sails to block out the sun. In addition, the City deploys it on the town square for community events, such as parades and the Fourth of July.
Malvern, AR
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: Established in 2020, Malvern's Story Trail and Garden is a well-loved feature of the Malvern-Hot Spring County Library. This project expanded the story trail, improving the space with new planters, windproof easels for painting classes and the installation of a butterfly-shaped table and chairs. Additionally, the library distributed nearly 2,000 children's books, with library staff assembling baskets for summer reading program participants.
Castleton-on-Hudson, NY
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: The Village of Castleton-on-Hudson regularly hosts a Repair Cafe event, where volunteers repaired any item brought to them, if possible. One problem: the event takes place on the second floor of a Village Hall, which has no elevator. This posed an accessibility issue -- locals often complained about climbing the building's difficult staircase. To solve this, the Village moved its Repair Cafe to Noyes Engine House. They also worked to activate a vacant lot next door, installing a community bulletin board, benches and planters onsite. The improvements support wider efforts to revitalize the village's downtown, with the goal of drawing more people to the central business district.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Surry, ME
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
Description: This project installed signage along Route 172 to slow speeding traffic by drivers who are often unaware of the small town's presence as they shuttle between Ellsworth and Blue Hill.
Blue Hill, ME
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018
Project Category: Trails
Description: This project set out to create age-friendly trails in Blue Hill. Efforts included constructing an accessible walking path and installing benches along it to give older adults and people with mobility challenges a place to rest. Part of the town's larger Connectivity Plan, organizers hoped the trails would encourage intergenerational activities and give residents opportunities for physical activity. The route runs through Blue Hill's downtown, allowing people to walk to local amenities and shops.
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