Chilton, WI

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: The Chilton Public Library was looking to expand its reach beyond the walls of the library building. To give residents an intergenerational activity, library staff installed two bilingual story walks -- one at Chilton Elementary School and the other outside a local nature center. Additionally, the library created two portable story walks, which staff can set up at community events and playgrounds around Calumet County. The walks consist of several display stations installed along a trail or path. Library staff display storybook pages in each kiosk, allowing families to meander along the trail, piecing together the parts of the story as they go. A team of volunteers maintains the story walks, which display books in Spanish and English.

Mount Airy, NC

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: This city will add picnic tables, benches, bike racks, landscaping and public art to the Market Street neighborhood. The improvements aim to create a more welcoming and accessible environment for residents and the many tourists who visit Mount Airy.

Lebanon, NH

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: To assess the housing stock in 67 municipalities in New Hampshire and Vermont, the Upper Valley Lake Sunapee Regional Planning Commission launched its Keys to the Valley Website. Grant funds supported website management and efforts to promote its use. The website includes an open data portal, where site visitors can engage with regional housing data, read personal stories, view maps and use interactive tools for analysis. Aerial and ground photography highlight the different types of housing across the region. Project organizers hope the website will highlight each community's unique housing needs, as well as features such as proximity to grocery stores and hospitals. To promote the site, commission staff created a video, launched a newsletter, attended public engagement events and talked with residents about the Keys to the Valley initiative.