AARP Hearing Center
AARP Livable Communities Map
See More Projects Like This One
Baton Rouge, LA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018
Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
Description: The Center for Planning Excellence set out to improve community health by promoting walking and biking in North Baton Rouge. Partnering with the local parks and recreation commission and utility departments, they improved lighting, directional signage and visibility in and around Longfellow Park. They also founded a walking club and staged a twilight walking event. Additionally, the Center launched a website with information about walking clubs, which also includes a tracking feature where residents can record their health status.
Baltimore, MD
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
Description: Many intersections in the Johnson Square neighborhood were unsafe for pedestrians, and especially for children walking to school. The Re-Build Johnson Square Neighborhood Organization created the Bee Safe program, a crosswalk art project. Local teenagers and other residents worked together to create artistic crosswalks, meant to slow down traffic by catching driver's attention. Volunteers worked to paint floral designs onto the pavement. Other improvements -- including flexible delineators and painted bump-outs -- separate pedestrians from street traffic and shorten the distance needed to walk across the street. Additionally, project organizers added a new crosswalk with accessible ramps at the main crossing point to and from the local elementary school.
Honolulu, HI
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
Description: Dangerous multi-lane crossings left pedestrians navigating long gaps in traffic, with low vehicle yield rates that created daily safety concerns for people walking to homes, bus stops and community services. The project installed new signs, fresh pavement markings and a solar-powered rapid-flashing beacon to make the crosswalk more visible. Yield rates rose from 60 to 87 percent after installation, improving comfort for people on foot. One community member said, "Thank you for this, I feel better walking here." The pilot also showed the city it could deliver similar safety fixes more quickly at other high-need sites.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Iowa City, IA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Transportation Other
Description: Many older adults and wheelchair users in Iowa City are unable to ride bicycles independently, limiting access to outdoor recreation and social connection. The Bike Library addressed that barrier by launching the state's first community-based chapter and introducing a wheelchair-accessible trishaw that allows riders to participate without transferring. Trained volunteer pilots, including many older adults, began offering free rides through neighborhoods, parks and riverfront trails from a central hub. One wheelchair user said it was the fastest and farthest they had traveled in 30 years, calling the experience a gift. By embedding adaptive cycling into local recreation and disability partnerships, the project created an ongoing way for residents to reconnect with nature and community.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Nevada, IA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: Main Street Nevada addressed the lack of comfortable, accessible places for residents to gather downtown, where limited shade and seating made it hard for older adults and people with physical limitations to spend time outdoors. An underused alleyway offered little reason to linger, even though it sat near everyday destinations. The project transformed the space into a functional patio by adding accessible seating, shade and a level surface that supports easier movement and rest. Picnic tables, umbrellas and plants helped define the area as a welcoming place to pause and connect. After opening, older adults and other residents began using the space for casual socializing, including nearby downtown residents, creating a new gathering spot that supports social connection.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
LEARN MORE AND STAY INFORMED
Find articles and resources about making communities more livable for people of all ages
Download or order free publications from AARP Livable Communities
Sign up for the free, weekly, award-winning AARP Livable Communities eNewsletter
Don't see your community listed?
LEARN HOW IT CAN JOIN THE NETWORKConnect with your AARP State Office
AARP has offices in all 50 states as well as in the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
AARP Iowa State Office
600 E. Court Avenue
Suite 100
Des Moines, IA 50309
United States