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Greendale, WI
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Improved wayfinding
Description: After gathering feedback from focus groups with residents, the Greendale Health Department installed directional signs and benches along the village's walking trails. A number of local organizations participated, including the Girls Scouts and students from the local school district. With help from the Greendale Women's Club, they also created and distributed maps of the trails. Project organizers say the effort allowed for community engagement and the new benches, signs and map help residents and visitors better utilize the community's trails.
Red Bank, NJ
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Improved wayfinding
Description: Officials with the Borough of Red Bank hoped to encourage residents and visitors to walk. To do this, the Borough launched Destination Red Bank, an initiative to add wayfinding signage to local streets. The Borough installed decals to the sidewalk, each displaying a QR code. When passersby scan the code with their smartphones, they can access information about local attractions, including directions to reach them by foot. Additionally, the Borough created a parklet -- a mini-part that sits in the footprint of a parking space. They outfitted the downtown gathering space with a picnic table and native plants to give pedestrians and cyclists a place to rest. Project organizers say they will continue to look for innovative ways to make Red Bank more walkable in the future.
Sheboygan, WI
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Improved wayfinding
Description: The City of Sheboygan augmented its downtown historical walking tour by creating a mobile app to teach residents and tourists about the city's heritage. The app was based on StriveOn, a platform designed to tell stories about local places. Additionally, the City installed signs and created printed paper maps for people who don't use smartphones or computers. The effort involved local businesses -- and their unique buildings -- in the tour. Project organizers hope the walking tour gets people interested in historical preservation and increases opportunities for physical activity.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Charlotte, NC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Public art installations
Description: Charlotte's Little Sugar Creek Greenway is a popular place for pedestrians, but the path through the Parkwood underpass tunnel was dark and uninviting. Working with local partners, Brand the Moth gave the tunnel new life. The organization commissioned two local artists to design a mural, which volunteers helped install during a community paint day. The new artwork represents Charlotte's people, communities and nature. Residents and visitors can now take a walking tour through the mural. Project organizers say they hope the public art project attracts more people to use the greenway.
Charlotte, NC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Access to high-speed internet
Description: Work-from-home protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the digital divide between those with high-speed internet access at home and those without a fast connection. To bridge that rift, the North End Community Coalition began a Wi-Fi lending program. The initiative allows residents to borrow tablets and hotspot devices for up to three weeks at no cost. In addition, the coalition partnered with local schools to provide hotspots and tablets to students. To bring connectivity to Charlotte's older residents, the coalition also wired two local senior apartment complexes for free Wi-Fi access. NECC has continued to work toward greater digital access by offering technology training. In 2022, the organization hosted an event with the Center for Digital Equity where North End residents received free laptops, met with digital navigators and had the option to sign up for reduced-cost internet service.
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