South Portland, Maine Print

Joined the AARP Age-Friendly Network:
10/15/2019

Lead Agency: City Council

Government Agency

Action Plan Download

South Portland developed its action plan with the goal of building a city where all residents can live safely and with dignity as they age, with a special focus on residents ages 65 and older. The initiative aims to partner with local entities to enhance and improve existing services and develop additional needed services, provide opportunities for all members of the community to engage and interact with older residents and advise the South Portland City Council on policy and infrastructure changes that will enhance the livability of the community.

Action Plan Highlights

  1. Housing

    Help older adults age in place by developing a volunteer handyman service for older residents by working in the school systems and with area service clubs to provide for snow removal, lawn care and small home project repairs, establishing a vetting process for reliable contractors for older adults' work with the business community and promoting available programs that exist for energy efficiency and safety.

  2. Outdoor Spaces

    Work to make local businesses and public outdoor spaces more age-friendly by setting up economic incentives for ADA compliant buildings, partnering with the business community to sponsor a regular "older adults shopping day" and surveying all local parks to describe their accessibilty and ensure a few parks in each neighborhood are fully accessible to older adults and those with disabilities.

  3. Transportation

    Promote safe, reliable and easy-to-use travel options to get people of all ages where they need to go. Build on existing resources to develop a citywide transportation network that provides free and low-cost rides, facilitating residents' mobility to meet medical and food security needs.

Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects

Age-Friendly South Portland (2021)

South Portland, ME

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021

Project Category: Trails

Description: The Greenbelt Trail, which serves pedestrians and cyclists, crosses several busy streets in South Portland. To make those crossings safer, Age-Friendly South Portland conducted a monthlong tactical urbanism project. They painted road delineators to separate cyclists from traffic, along with high-visibility signage to alert drivers to the crossings. Curb bump-outs decreased the distance needed for trail users to cross the street. While the fixtures were temporary, organizers gathered feedback from residents during the demonstration, which they featured in a presentation to the public works department. Project organizers report the project spurred the City to make permanent changes to one crossing.

Age-Friendly South Portland (2022)

South Portland, ME

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022

Project Category: Engaging people in transportation options/safety

Description: The local age-friendly initiative conducted awalk audit to identify ways to improve safety on the Green Belt Trail. Volunteers also installed signage to help visitors navigate the trail. To inform the public about how to use the route, Age-Friendly Portland produced a segment for air on local access television.

ABOUT THE AARP COMMUNITY CHALLENGE

Launched in 2017, the annual AARP Community Challenge provides small grants to local governments and nonprofits in order to fund quick-action, ready-to-implement projects that can help communities become more livable for people of all ages.

See all nearby projects

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Connect 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 Maine State Office

53 Baxter Boulevard
Suite 202
Portland, ME 04101
United States

Phone: 866-554-5380
Fax: 207-775-5727
Email: [email protected]