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Seattle, WA

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: To help the Southwest Seattle Senior Center become a safer and more inviting gathering space, organizers with Rebuilding Together Seattle made physical improvements to the facility. This included refurbishing handrails, demolishing a shed and replacing it with expanded ADA-compliant parking for members, repainting the building's faade and sprucing up landscaping. RTS used the project to promote its Open Volunteer Days, attracting people from the community to assist with the work. The Center serves an area of Seattle with the city's highest poverty rates and largest share of low-income residents. Project organizers said they hoped the improvements would help position the Center as a safe haven and community hub.

Forman, ND

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: The City of Forman transformed an empty lot into a pleasant gathering space, designed especially for older adults. The space is located on the city's Main Street, across from a senior center and next to the county health office. To activate the lot, the City installed paving stones and set up a two-person table with chairs. They also added planters, solar lights, a trash can, a metal bench and an arbor at the entrance. Flowers, shrubs and a community garden with six raised beds followed. As the only outdoor area on Forman's Main Street with seating, the site gave people a safe place to gather during the COVID-19 pandemic. With new businesses opening across the street, the City expects to see more pedestrian traffic in the neighborhood.

Snohomish, WA

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: To give families an intergenerational outdoor activity, Friends of the Snohomish Library installed a story trail. They set up weather-protected stations at several points along a path, each designed to display pages from a storybook. This allows grandparents and parents with children to walk the path and read together, moving from station to station to piece each part of the story. To give families a reason to return, a children's librarian changes the story displayed four times a year. Since installation, project organizers report other communities have replicated the project, creating their own story walks.

Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects

Harrisonville, MO

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024

Project Category: Park enhancements

Description: This project will install a sidewalk connection at the city park, enhancing safety and accessibility for older adults. The new sidewalks will close an 800-foot gap that forces pedestrians to walk in the road.

Raymore, MO

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018

Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement

Description: As part of efforts to establish Raymore's Municipal Circle as the heart of the community, the City of Raymore created a paved crosswalk. Before, visitors to nearby municipal buildings crossed at unmarked points, leading to safety concerns. To further increase a sense of public safety, they City added lighting. Additionally, they installed park benches nearby to give pedestrians a place to rest. Foot traffic in the neighborhood has increased in recent years -- a new community event space opened nearby and more development is expected. City officials also hope the crosswalk project serves as a pilot for improving walkability in other parts of town.

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