Places for Gathering in Rural Communities

By encouraging creative thinking, rural and remote communities can transform public places into welcoming spaces that meet the needs of residents, spark meaningful interactions and serve as useful destinations.

The examples in this article come from AARP’s work in and with rural communities. Find more rural livability resources in the AARP Livability Library.

Manchester, New Hampshire

An elevated boardwalk allows visitors to move through the swampiest part of the Cedar Swamp Preserve. Benches are located every 300 to 700 feet along the trail.

Photo courtesy APT Boardwalk © Jeff Lougee/Courtesy TNC

Enabling Accessibility

The Historic Claremont Opera House in Claremont, New Hampshire, used AARP Community Challenge grants from 2023 and 2024 to acquire headphones with enhanced sound for people with hearing challenges and relocate the venue’s accessible seating areas from the rear of the theater to a row with a better view. Also in New Hampshire, the Special Needs Support Center of the Upper Valley used an AARP grant to supply local businesses that have earned its Enabled Upper Valley disability-friendly designation with accommodation-supportive devices such as noise-canceling headphones. 

To make the Manchester Cedar Swamp Preserve more accessible to visitors, The Nature Conservancy built the 1.2-mile All Persons Trail with support from a 2021 AARP Community Challenge grant.

Described as “an out‑and‑back, gently undulating route” that’s “ideal for visitors using wheelchairs, strollers and other assistive/adaptive devices,” the trail's boardwalk (pictured) and 6-foot-wide surface of compacted crushed stone can accommodate two wheelchairs traveling side by side.

Benches placed along the path are useful for all visitors. An audio tour app is available in English and Spanish.

Bristol and Sterling, Colorado

A mural featuring the Bristol Senior-Community Center and a promotion for a fitness class at the Logan County Heritage Center.

Images courtesy Town of Bristol Improvements Board, mural by Irene Grissom, and the Logan County Heritage Center

Leveraging local talent to tell the story of the community’s past, the nonprofit Town of Bristol Improvements Board commissioned a local artist to create six historical murals to bring the region’s past to life. The murals are embedded with QR codes that link viewers to detailed histories.

The art and a garden featuring flower beds, sculptures and seating were supported by an AARP Community Challenge grant.

To attract more community members to its activities, the Logan County Heritage Center in Sterling launched a Zumba-inspired cardio dance class. The center scheduled other adult education classes before the fitness sessions so attendees could participate in multiple activities during one visit.

Danforth, Maine

A presentation slide about the creation of the Danforth Livable Communities Center

Photo courtesy Danford Livable Community Center

Located in a remote region of eastern Maine, Danforth (population 1,000) is a resource hub for its surrounding communities. When a local church closed its doors, its leaders donated the building to serve as a community center.

With renovations needed, creative fundraisers — including Murder Mystery nights, plant sales and raffles — raised funds and built grassroots support for the Danforth Livable Communities Center.

In 2022, an AARP Community Challenge grant supported accessibility improvements and new activities at the center, which provides critical services, including nutrition programs, transportation services, and social, recreational and educational offerings. Because funding often inspires others to give, the AARP grant helped the town garner additional support from public and private donors.