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Town of Berlin with Berlin Main Street (2018) Print
2018 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Public space activation
└ Public space activation
To give people a place to sit, rest and enjoy a meal, the Town of Berlin purchased tables and seating. The Town sets up the outdoor furniture during events on Main Street. The new amenities also make downtown more accessible, since older adults and people with mobility challenges have a space to rest. Since the improvements, project organizers say residents no longer need to sit on the curb as they eat their lunch.
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Caldwell, ID
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: Organizers with Destination Caldwell think of Indian Creek Plaza like the front porch on a farmhouse -- a place for sitting and chatting with neighbors. The nonprofit hoped to activate the space with interactive outdoor games. They engaged residents to decoupage vintage photographs onto cornhole boards and piece together glass-mosaic tabletop gameboards for chess, checkers and backgammon. This project is part of larger efforts to bring public art to the plaza. Today, the game tables are available throughout the year.
McAlester, OK
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: By activating an underutilized parking lot, the City of McAlester gave residents access to green space in the heart of its historic downtown. Before opening the new park, the City prepared the site, clearing concrete, replacing soil and resolving stormwater drainage issues. Dubbed Arvest Park, amenities there include accessible sidewalks, food truck hookups, bike posts, tables with seating and a water fountain. Project organizers say the park filled a need for gathering space within a commercial area and helps support local businesses. The site often accommodates pop-up business and locals use the green space to gather for lunch and meet up for shopping or errands.
Sheridan, WY
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: Several years ago, the Powder River Basin Resource Council created a food forest -- a space that gives the community access to fresh produce, including fruit, berries and vegetables. However, the space lacked accessibility features, making it difficult for older adults and people with mobility challenges to visit. To make the food forest more inviting, the council asked a local craftsman to design benches, which give people a place to pause and relax as they walk through the gardens. They also installed solar lighting, which allows visitors to use the forest after dark. Plans to expand the food forest are now underway. The council is working with an elder from the Northern Cheyenne community to create a Native food garden onsite.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Bethany Beach, DE
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Disaster Preparedness
Description: Bethany Beach Landowners Association set out to close gaps in disaster readiness for older adults in a coastal area prone to storms and evacuations. Planning was fragmented and many residents lacked clear steps for alerts, evacuation and essential documents. The association convened local leaders and ran hands-on workshops where participants enrolled in alert systems, learned Know Your Zone guidance and used checklists and calendars to plan. A central repository pushed life-saving tips to thousands and spurred new community emergency response teams. The town added a Storm Ready page and leaders pledged ongoing updates to keep preparedness front and center. Participants reported immediate action, and praised the success of the program. The project turned guidance into concrete steps that support safer decisions when the next storm threatens.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Ocean View, DE
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2026
Project Category: Disaster Preparedness
Description: Preparedness training will teach self‑reliance skills for major emergency events. Participants will learn how to assist neighbors when first responders are limited.
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