Livable Communities

The Granite City Greenway in Mt Airy is a 6.6 linear mile trail and a great local resource for walking, biking, running or strolling. And a couple of additions would make it even better for users of all ages. A 2019 AARP Community Challenge Grant will help add ten benches, five bike racks and new trees to the trail.

Madison County lies on the western edge of North Carolina, where the Appalachian Trail meanders north and east from Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Generations of farmers once grew tobacco here on the sides of mountains and still raise cattle to make ends meet. “When you go back into some of the mountains and hollers, you can almost touch what once was,” says Dee Heinmuller, Director of Madison County Community Services.

ASHEVILLE, NC -- Part of Asheville’s city center recently received a temporary makeover to show how some simple modifications can make public spaces better for people of all ages.

RALEIGH - Recognizing the immediate and long-term challenges that those affected by Hurricane Florence still face, particularly vulnerable older adults, AARP members and AARP Foundation are donating $635,000 to various rebuilding as well as legal assistance efforts in North Carolina.

Guilford County has recently joined the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities, along with other counties such as Buncombe, Mecklenburg, Orange, and Wake. Age-Friendly Network members work toward becoming vibrant and welcoming for people of all ages through a continuous cycle of improvement in specific areas of design and sustainability. These areas promote health and quality of life for older adults and benefit all those in the community. An early step in the process of becoming an Age-Friendly Community is assessing Guilford County’s needs and priorities in those key areas.

North Carolina residents had several days’ notice that Hurricane Florence was headed straight to Southeastern NC. Despite warnings to evacuate, many residents stayed in their homes. While their reasons varied, many cited that they don’t have the means to pay for lodging, gas and food to move to a safer place, even though free shelters were available to them.

By Sue Price Johnson

AARP is working to make North Carolina communities better places for people of all ages. Two major Triad Counties, Guilford and Forsyth have recently joined A ARP's Network of Age Friendly Communities and are working on changes that will make it easier for people to age in place.

ASHEVILLE -- The irony was perfect: outside the front door of Asheville’s NC Stage Company, teenagers were skateboarding down Walnut Street, an elder’s classic stereotype of adolescence if there ever was one. Inside, a different group of teens (and elders) were creating and putting on a performance––“Mind the Gap”––about breaking down such stereotypes.

GREENSBORO, NC – With nearly a quarter of the state’s residents expected to be age 60 or older by the year 2030, Guilford County took an important step to become a better place for people of all ages. The County recently applied for the World Health Organization’s status of “age-friendly” by joining the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities.