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Iowa City, IA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Walk Audits
Description: Older adults faced unsafe walking conditions and limited mobility options, making it harder to cross busy streets and stay connected. Two walk audits engaged 65 residents, nearly half age 50-plus, to identify hazards and explore placemaking strategies using AARP worksheets. The workshops sparked partnerships with city and state agencies and positioned the neighborhood to advocate for sidewalk murals, pedestrian triangles and a history trail. Participants said the effort was long overdue, with one noting, "I have been waiting for these kinds of improvements for a long time. This is so important for our neighborhood."
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Dover-Foxcroft, ME
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Walk Audits
Description: Central Hall Commons set out to address unsafe walking conditions downtown, where broken sidewalks, missing handrails and unreliable crossing signals pushed pedestrians into traffic. This made routine trips risky for older adults and people with limited mobility. Walk audits of Monument Square and Union Square documented steep sidewalk slopes, gaps at private properties, a crosswalk near an accident-prone intersection and signals that failed or were missing. One walker said confusion at crossings led them to "jump out ahead of vehicles," showing how failures shaped dangerous behavior. The project produced a formal audit with fixes, from repairing signals and closing sidewalk gaps to adding benches and traffic-calming treatments. The work elevated pedestrian safety in public decision-making. It is intended to influence near-term fixes and the scope of future improvements that better support older adults and other residents.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Sheridan, WY
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2026
Project Category: Walk Audits
Description: Two walk audits will examine pedestrian safety along a busy Main Street corridor. Community meetings will review findings to inform future planning decisions.
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Wilmington, DE
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Public art installations
Description: During the planning stages for a mural at the 4th Rodney Park, Pastor Lottie Lee-Davis -- a community leader and the project's main partner -- was killed in a car crash. The original goal for the mural was to depict positive imagery for neighborhood children to look up to as they played. After Pastor Lottie's death, organizers used the mural to honor the woman who was a beloved leader and advocate for the 4th Street corridor's residents. Local artists Crae Washington and JaQuanne LeRoy Daniels made Lee-Davis the central figure in the mural, surrounding her with bold colors and words representing career aspirations of the area's children and teens. Since the mural's installation other improvements have come to the park, including new greenery and a bike repair station. Cornerstone West has also worked to implement public art and beautification projects at other nearby parks, including Judy Johnson Park, Cool Spring Park and Tilton Park.
Wilmington, DE
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Engaging people in transportation options/safety
Description: Wilmington residents face high rates of inactivity and chronic health issues, worsened by unsafe streets and limited bike infrastructure. In neighborhoods where many households lack cars, poor walkability restricts mobility and access to essentials. Through Open Streets Wilmington, roads were closed to traffic for events promoting active recreation and healthy living. Pop-up demonstrations showcased safer street designs, including a protected bike lane and improved parking on Baynard Boulevard. These efforts led to permanent changes that enhanced bike safety and pedestrian access. "Open Streets turns streets into neighborhoods and residents into neighbors," said one participant.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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