AARP Hearing Center
AARP Livable Communities Map
See More Projects Like This One
Tolland, CT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: To give older adults in Tolland an outdoor space to gather and spend time, the Tolland Conservation Commission created a new park. The Commission worked with landscape architecture students at University of Connecticut to design Wanat Senior Park, a 13-acre area with accessible woodland trails, space for stargazing, a wheelchair-accessible meadow trail and meditative labyrinth. Engagement with older adults, including a design charrette and guided site tour, informed plans for the park. Volunteers of all ages planted vegetation and helped install hardscaping. The park features a pollinator garden, ADA-compliant benches and a variety of native plants. Public art -- including a sculpture of a heron and a sundial -- welcome visitors to the space.
Estherville, IA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: To improve its recreation facilities, the City of Estherville asked residents for their ideas about how to improve local outdoor spaces. In response to this feedback, the City added special playground swings at the community's parks that are suitable for users of various skills, sizes and ages. The generation swings are two swings in one -- a combined adult swing and a swing for babies and toddlers. This enables children to swing face-to-face with their adult.
Randolph, VT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: To give residents the opportunity to express themselves and connect with each other, Sunrise Rotary Club installed outdoor musical instruments near the town's recreational field. The new Harmony Park features chimes, drums, a xylophone, Imbarimbas and a harp. The Club also added benches to the space, along with a welcome sign informing visitors about the instruments.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Stanton, IA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Trails
Description: The Greenbelt walking trail in Stanton is a source community pride, with residents of all ages using the trail. However, the text on the trail's original mile marker signposts have worn off due to age and weather. The Stanton Community Foundation installed new metal mile markers shaped like Dala horses -- small, red wooden horses -- which pay homage to the town's Swedish heritage. The mile markers allow residents to track their progress as they navigate the Greenbelt.
Malvern, IA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Public art installations
Description: The community of Malvern is an art hub for the region, but several spaces in the town were underutilized and aesthetically unappealing for residents and visitors. Golden Hills Resource Conservation and Development improved two public corridors, allowing people to gather there. The Wabash Trace Corridor now boasts upcycled metal art panels. Additionally, artists and volunteers transformed an underutilized alley on the east side of Main Street into Malvern's Art Alley. The Art Alley -- which connects Malvern's downtown -- features murals on fences, garage doors and the backs of buildings. An interactive map includes a QR code, which links to a website showing the locations of each piece of public art.
LEARN MORE AND STAY INFORMED
Find articles and resources about making communities more livable for people of all ages
Download or order free publications from AARP Livable Communities
Sign up for the free, weekly, award-winning AARP Livable Communities eNewsletter
Don't see your community listed?
LEARN HOW IT CAN JOIN THE NETWORKConnect with your AARP State Office
AARP has offices in all 50 states as well as in the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
AARP Iowa State Office
600 E. Court Avenue
Suite 100
Des Moines, IA 50309
United States