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New York City, NY
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Walk Audits
Description: Older adults faced daily risks along Canal Street, where speeding traffic and missing curb cuts made crossing dangerous. To address this, the group led four walk audits and three meetings with more than 100 participants, identifying urgent fixes like leading pedestrian intervals and improved visibility. The effort produced advocacy letters to community boards and influenced DOT's planned redesign, which includes raised crosswalks and speed reductions. One participant said, "I've witnessed multiple crashes... More greenery, slower speeds and safety at the bridge entrance would make it safer for everyone."
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Shreve, OH
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Walk Audits
Description: Cracked and uneven sidewalks made walking unsafe near parks, the library and downtown, limiting mobility for older adults and families. The village organized walk audits with residents and shared findings at a community meeting. It then launched the Sidewalk Improvement Partnership Program, pairing homeowners with the village for repairs. The initiative sparked council involvement and set priorities for phased upgrades, creating a path toward safer, more walkable streets. As one volunteer noted, "I had never fully recognized the challenging experience it could be for elderly individuals, people with disabilities, or those with baby strollers."
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
New York, NY
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Walk Audits
Description: Older adults navigating dense city neighborhoods often face hidden accessibility barriers, from uneven sidewalks to businesses that are difficult to enter. Without clear, shared information, these obstacles can limit independence and everyday movement. AXS Lab addressed this gap by hosting three community mapping events that invited residents to document real-world accessibility conditions using walk audits and digital mapping tools. Participants reviewed streets, parks and businesses and contributed hundreds of observations based on lived experience. The effort supported conversations with local officials and community partners and helped businesses better understand accessibility needs. By turning on-the-ground knowledge into shared data, the project strengthened community awareness and created a foundation for ongoing advocacy focused on improving access for older adults.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Amesville, OH
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: Since Amesville earned its designation as a Bee City USA, the village has worked to sustain pollinators. To provide pollinating birds and insects with a habitat rich in native plants and free from insecticides, the Village created a pollinator garden. The effort activated an underused meadow in Gifford Park. Volunteers used a natural herbicide to clear out unwanted grass, then spread compost and seeded the half-acre site with wildflowers. They also constructed birdboxes and installed seating and signage. Since completing the project, the Village has hosted mini-festivals onsite, which feature walking tours of the garden.
Parkersburg, WV
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Public art installations
Description: Downtown PKP wanted to build on its efforts to bring public art to Parkersburg. Over the years, the nonprofit created selfie stations and displayed welcome banners in the central business district. This project added a 40-foot mural. Downtown PKB held community listening sessions, where they asked residents what they love most about their town, as well as about their hopes for the future. Using the responses, a team of artists developed a design depicting a collage of smiling faces, local landmarks and butterflies. During four public paint parties, 300 volunteers worked to install the mural on the side of the Parkersburg Art Center. Project organizers say the collaborative effort culminated in public art that beautified Parkersburg's downtown.
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