AARP Eye Center
AARP Livable Communities Map
See More Projects Like This One
Forman, ND
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: This project will move an existing community garden to a more accessible location. It will also expand the garden to offer more raised beds for people who are interested in growing their own food.
Ranson, WV
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: This project will add heritage apple trees to a community garden, activating an unused space in the floodplain. Once planted, a trail with a bench will connect the new orchard to the rest of the gardens and an indoor walking path popular with older adults.
Salt Lake City, UT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: Salt Lake City's Taylorsville neighborhood is home to refugee families from Syria, Myanmar and Afghanistan. Many new residents, however, struggle with social isolation. To help people feel connected, Salt Lake County created a community garden at the local senior center. Volunteers built four raised beds and the County provided ergonomic gardening equipment, seeds and starter plants. Project organizers say the opportunity to garden gives older adults -- who were often farmers and ranchers in their native countries -- a renewed sense of purpose. Gardening also allows them to form relationships with their neighbors.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Green River, UT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Accessory dwelling units, tiny homes and manufactured housing
Description: Epicenter conducted outreach to older residents about their housing needs, with the goal informing the design of its Frontier House prototype. Costing 36,000, Epicanter envisions the small home as an affordable alternative to mobile homes, where many rural residents live. The 708-square-foot home -- scaled to the minimum house size allowed by City code -- prioritizes accessibility. Designed to be low maintenance, the house is meant to enable residents to age in place in their community. Epicenter plans to monitor the structure for three years to track its utility usage and durability. The nonprofit also uses the prototype as a teaching tool within the community. The nonprofit works to close the housing affordability gap for low-to-moderate income households in rural Utah through home repair and new housing construction.
Green River, UT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: As Epicenter worked to complete its Canal Commons affordable housing development, organizers set out to create an accessible greenspace for future residents. Located in the desert city of Green River, the pocket neighborhood lacks access to walking trails, sidewalks and parks. To address this, Epicenter installed concrete walkways. To allow residents to gather outdoors at night -- and avoid the hot, desert sun -- organizers installed LED lighting along the path. Wayfinding signage helps residents navigate the path, as well as the larger neighborhood. The space also features a picnic table, ADA-compliant benches and raised garden beds. Epicenter prioritized universal design elements for the greenspace to ensure people can age in place at Canal Commons.
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 Utah State Office
6975 Union Park Center
Suite 320
Midvale (Salt Lake City), UT 84047
United States