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Urban Housing Solutions (2019) Print
2019 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Public space activation
└ Public space activation
With the goal of reducing social isolation for older residents, Urban Housing Solutions designed and constructed a temporary parklet at Mercury Court, a small affordable housing community close to downtown Nashville. The organization outfitted the outdoor space with patio chairs, picnic tables, planter boxes, solar string lights and shade umbrellas. They also repainted a community room and decorated a wall with graphics celebrating the property's history. To ensure the space enables social interaction, a group of residents worked to coordinate social events, such as movie and game nights and community meals. In addition, Mercury Courts residents have shown interest in using the new planter boxes as garden beds. Urban Housing Solutions is a nonprofit housing developer serving Nashville's unhoused and low-income residents.
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Bismarck, ND
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: As part of Bismarck's Health in All Policies initiative, the City made improvements to its 16th Street Park, intending to create a sense of place and encourage residents to be active outdoors. To revitalize the park, project organizers installed a new bench, ADA-accessible picnic table and game table. Local artists also designed a mural for a building onsite and decorated walkways with sidewalk chalk art. To complete the activation, volunteers created designs by pushing colorful plastic cups through the park's chain link fences. Additionally, the City conducted a temporary traffic calming demonstration at a nearby roundabout in an effort to make the area safer for pedestrians.
West Chester, PA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: The West Chester library's terrace was an empty walkway, leaving older adults without a safe outdoor space to read, socialize or access Wi-Fi. The project installed three permanent tables with seating, including an ADA-accessible option, added umbrellas for shade and a security camera for safety. The terrace now hosts programs and casual gatherings, expanding the librarys footprint. One ukulele club member said, "Finally, this beautiful terrace can be enjoyed!"
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Woodburn, OR
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: Senior Estates Park lacked amenities for social gatherings and recreation, limiting opportunities for older adults to connect. The city added a fenced off-leash dog park and a 20-by-30 picnic shelter with ADA-accessible tables, trash receptacles and a drinking fountain with a dog bowl. These upgrades created a dry, covered space for family events and a safe area for dogs to play. The improvements are increasing park use, providing older adults with a convenient venue for social interaction and make the park a year-round destination for community celebrations.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Nashville, TN
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017
Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
Description: The Nashville Civic Center Design Center hosted the Nashville Neighborhoods Celebration at the intersection of 11th and Arthur Avenues. To showcase possibilities for public space there, organizers set up seating, street games and art installations. The gathering featured dance performances, food vendors and live music. Organizers wanted to ensure intersection upgrades aligned with Nashville's Walkike Master Plan. So they installed temporary streetscaping features, including vertical barriers to protect pedestrians crossing the street, signs to alert drivers to crosswalks, sensor lights and reflectors to increase visibility at night and bike lanes separated from traffic by planter boxes. At the event, residents had the opportunity to share their feedback on the improvements. Based on the pop-up efforts, the City permanently redesigned 11th street in 2019, adding a new bike lane. And since then, additional pop-up bike lane projects have informed permanent changes to downtown.
Nashville, TN
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Bringing resident insight and volunteer power into local government
Description: Older residents often want a voice in neighborhood decisions but lack confidence and leadership skills. To bridge this gap, Neighbor 2 Neighbor launched "Ignite Your Neighborhood Passion," hosting five lunch-and-learn sessions led by veteran neighborhood leaders. Participants identified local assets, explored leadership roles and connected with peers. The program sparked commitments to volunteer and inspired community centers to request more sessions. "It is so refreshing to know there is an organization that wants to teach neighborhoods how to come together and get things done," said one attendee, underscoring its impact on civic engagement.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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