Woodville, MS

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: This project will equip a rural public library with automatic doors and an access ramp, enhancing accessibility and safety for all residents, especially those age 50 and over.

Washington, DC

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: Genesis residents lacked a safe, inviting outdoor space, leaving older adults and families isolated. The project installed 20 resident-painted mural panels, solar lights and a welcome sign, and redesigned the patio with movable seating for performances. A fall celebration with food and music marked the transformation. "The murals look so lovely, and the lighting makes this area feel more inviting," said one resident, noting how the space now fosters pride and connection across generations.

Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.

Evanston, WY

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: To bring vibrancy to Evanston's downtown, Evanston's Main Street program installed a unique, new seating option. This project added swing tables, which consist of a picnic table with bench seating on one side and swings on the other. Each table also accommodates people who use wheelchairs, who can roll up to either end of the table. To make the seating more comfortable, Main Street equipped each table with shade sails and solar lights. Additionally, the program engaged volunteers to paint pavement murals in the central business district's street crossings. The public art serves a dual purpose -- the murals add color to the streetscape and make crosswalks more noticeable to passing drivers. This calms traffic and increases pedestrian safety.