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Walk Austin (2020) Print
2020 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Engaging residents in vibrant public places
└ Engaging residents in vibrant public places
Launched during the COVID-19 pandemic, Austin's Healthy Streets program closed streets to vehicle traffic in several residential neighborhoods. This enabled neighbors to go for walks and ride bikes without needing to dodge traffic. To help residents become advocates for slow streets, project organizers held online meetings with neighbor groups to teach them effective ways to share their opinions with City leadership. Local artists also created street murals to decorate the low-traffic spaces. This ultimately helped keep Healthy Streets alive -- the Transportation Department announced it would wind down the program due concerns about cost and staff capacity. But community advocates documented the benefits of the street closures and urged the city council to keep the project. In 2021, the council voted in to make the program permanent. Project organizers also created a report with best practices to help other communities replicate open streets projects.
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Tucson, AZ
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Engaging residents in vibrant public places
Description: This pilot program will allow community members to close local streets to vehicle traffic, creating a safe space for residents to gather outdoors. The small events are meant to be a miniature version of the community's biannual Cyclovita open streets festival.
Sacramento, CA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Engaging residents in vibrant public places
Description: This project will transform a park by staging a vibrant pop-up community celebration and organizing workshops where older adults can become involved in decisions about how to improve their community.
Hilo, HI
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Engaging residents in vibrant public places
Description: Like in many communities around the country, older adults in Hilo were particularly isolated during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. To help older adults connect with friends and neighbors, the East Hawai'i Cultural Center created an outdoor mobile stage. The modular stage hosted free and low-cost theatre, dance, music, hula, poetry performances and lectures at venues throughout the community, including several at two senior centers.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Austin, TX
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Walkability
Description: This project will engage older adult volunteers to conduct two walk audits in high-traffic zones located near grocery stores in Central and South Austin.
Austin, TX
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Engaging people in transportation options/safety
Description: Travel training camps will familiarize older residents with public transit and other transportation options to help them get around without driving. The camps are day-long outings providing hands-on experience with biking, public transit, using scooters and walking.
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