Area of Detroit, Michigan that borders the Detroit River
Skyline of Detroit at night
The Detroit International Riverfront is a tourist attraction and landmark of Detroit, Michigan, extending from the Ambassador Bridge in the west to Belle Isle in the east, for a total of 5.5 miles (8.8 kilometers) along the Detroit River. The International Riverfront encompasses a cruise ship passenger terminal and dock, a marina, a multitude of parks, restaurants, retail shops, skyscrapers, and high rise residential areas along with Huntington Place. The Marriott at the Renaissance Center and the Robert's Riverwalk Hotel are also situated along the International Riverfront. Private companies and foundations together with the city, state, and federal government have contributed several hundred million dollars toward the riverfront development. Key public spaces in the International Riverfront, such as the RiverWalk, Dequindre Cut Greenway and Trail, William G. Milliken State Park and Harbor, and a cruise ship passenger terminal and dock at Hart Plaza complement the architecture of the area.[1] The area provides a venue for a variety of annual events and festivals including the Detroit Electronic Music Festival, Detroit Free Press International Marathon, the Detroit International Jazz Festival, Motor City Pride, the North American International Auto Show, River Days and Detroit China Festival. In February 2021, the Detroit International Riverfront was voted best riverwalk in the United States by USA Today readers.[2] It was selected a second time as the best riverwalk in the U.S. in 2022. [3]
The Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, incorporated as a 501(c)(3) organization, helped raise funds for the International Riverfront project.[1] Developers planned the initial east riverfront promenade investment at $559 million, which included contributions of $135 million from GM and $50 million from the Kresge foundation.[4]
The Aretha Franklin Amphitheater, formerly known as Chene Park, is located on the near east side of Detroit, at the foot of Chene Street, along the banks of the Detroit River. Located just east of William G. Milliken State Park and Harbor, it contains a 6,000-seat amphitheater where concerts are regularly scheduled every summer. Jazz, Classic Soul and Rhythm and Blues acts are the staples of the season. The park also includes park trails, the Chene Park Fountain, and the Lake Lounge bar. The Detroit Riverfront Conservancy has connected the park to the Renaissance Center along a riverside promenade.
The park was originally named for Charles Chene, a French immigrant who owned a strip of land along the shores of the Detroit River that extended into what is now just east of downtown.[5] On September 4, 2018, Detroit City Council unanimously voted to rename Chene Park the Aretha Franklin Amphitheater after the famous singer who died on August 16, 2018. The change took place before the 2019 season.[6][7]
Dequindre Cut Greenway is a non-motorized trail extending from the Detroit River northward, with the future potential to connect to the Ferndale-Birmingham greenway in Oakland County. The mile (1.6km) long trail primarily connects the Lafayette Park neighborhood and Eastern Market to the Riverwalk. The greenway utilizes half of the corridor, with a 20-foot (6.1m) wide paved path with separate lanes for biking and walking.[1]
Construction of phase I of the Dequindre Cut Greenway, extending from the River one mile (1.6km) north to Gratiot Avenue, is complete. Funded by MDOT's Transportation Enhancement Program and the Community Foundation of Southeast Michigan, this portion of the greenway sets the template for future phases and includes a 20-foot (6.1m) bituminous path; access ramps for bicyclists, pedestrians and emergency vehicles; landscaping; lighting; signage and security cameras. The first phase of the trail officially opened May 14, 2009 with an opening ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Woodbridge Street entrance of the greenway between Orleans Street and St. Aubin Street.
The Dequindre Cut Greenway phase II North project begins at the northern terminus of the phase I at Gratiot Avenue and continues for over one-half mile to Mack Avenue. The strategic plan for phase II provides a design approach and project budget that builds on the lessons learned in phase I construction.
The Dequindre Cut is noted for the high quality graffiti covering the walls of the corridor. The Riverfront Conservancy which operates the greenway will permit current and future painted art work to remain as long as it is not deemed offensive. The trail is one of the city's few public art parks and is a major attraction for urban photographers.[1]
The Renaissance Center, nicknamed the RenCen, is a group of seven interconnected skyscrapers in Detroit, Michigan, and the tallest building in Michigan since 1977. Located on the Detroit International Riverfront, the entire Renaissance Center complex is owned by General Motors. The central tower is occupied by the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center, the tallest all-hotel skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere with the largest rooftop restaurant, called Coach Insignia. The complex contains many restaurants, a variety of shops, and the vehicle display known as GM World. GM donated its portion of the plaza and promenade to the Riverfront Conservancy upon completion. A cruise-ship passenger terminal stands on Hart Plaza, adjacent to the Renaissance Center. In 2003, General Motors completed a $500 million renovation of the Renaissance Center for its world headquarters which it had purchased in 1996. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Gensler, the Smith Group, and Ghafari Associates were among the architects for the renovation. The majority of the construction operations were led by Turner Construction Company. The renovation included the addition of a five-story Wintergarden which provides access to the Detroit International Riverfront.[8]
Work continued in and around the complex until 2005. The Renaissance Center totals 5.5 million square feet (511,000m2), making it one of the world's largest office complexes.
The 14-acre (5.7ha) plaza, which is named for the late U.S. Senator Philip Hart, opened in 1975 and has a capacity for about 40,000 people.[10] At the center of the plaza is the Horace E. Dodge and Son Memorial Fountain, designed by Isamu Noguchi and Walter Budd in 1978.[11]
The Detroit International Riverfront includes a 5+1⁄2-mile (8.8km) promenade called the River Walk which is to extend from the Ambassador Bridge to Belle Isle. The path is located directly on the river, sometimes bridging it. The path is 62 feet (18+3⁄4m) wide in most places, with separate lanes for pedestrian and wheeled (such as bicycles or inline skate) traffic. Pavilions, fishing piers and benches are located at intervals along the path.[1]
The first 3.5 miles (5.6km) of continuous riverfront promenade and two of the four planned pavilions opened to the public on June 6, 2007. Rivard Plaza located at the foot of Rivard Street features a covered seating, a carousel, concessions and bike rentals. Richard Plaza located in Gabriel Richard Park features covered seating, concessions and a butterfly garden. The River Walk is continuous from Joe Louis Arena to Milliken State Park with unfinished sections between the state park and River Place. From River Place the River Walk is then continuous through Mt Elliott Park to the former site of the Uniroyal Tire factory west of Belle Isle. The west riverfront promenade development is not expected to be completed before 2022. The west riverfront includes the high-rise Riverfront Towers. The west riverfront promenade will eventually connect to River Rouge in the southwest side.[1]
William G. Milliken State Park and Harbor (formerly Tri-Centennial State Park and Harbor) is a state park in Michigan, and one of only two state parks located within an urban area. The park consist of the former city-owned St. Aubin Park and Marina. Located just east of downtown Detroit in the Near-East Riverfront, it covers 31 acres (13ha) on the Detroit River, and includes a 52-slip harbor of refuge. A 63-foot (19m) conical brick light tower marks the harbor entrance. The park's first phase opened in 2003, included refurbishing of the marina and construction of lighthouse. Construction on the second phase, adjacent to Rivard Plaza, to expand the park started in summer 2008 and was completed in summer 2009. In fall 2009, the state park was renamed in honor of former Michigan GovernorWilliam G. Milliken.
Riverfront activities
Freedom festival's fireworks
Detroit River Days, a five-day festival on the International Riverfront, marked the 2007 opening of the riverfront promenade along the east river leading up to the Detroit-Windsor International Freedom Festival fireworks. Detroit and Windsor jointly celebrate the multi-day festival the last week of June which draws about 3.5 million visitors during the week in order to commemorate each country's respective National holiday - (US Independence Day on July 4 and Canada Day on July 1). The festival began in 1959. It is organized by the Parade Company, a well sponsored not-for-profit organization governed by the Michigan Thanksgiving Parade Foundation.
Traditionally, several days of events were planned, ending with one of the world's largest fireworks displays,[12] sponsored by Target. In prior years, the fireworks display has been billed as the world's largest. On the Windsor side, there is a midway consisting of carnival rides and concessions during the festival. The Midway operates as stand-alone attraction at the end of June, beginning of July.
The Detroit Electronic Music Festival (DEMF) is an electronic dance music showcase held in Hart Plaza each Memorial Day weekend since 2000. In subsequent years, the similarly themed festivals Movement (2003–2004), Fuse-In (2005) and currently, Movement: Detroit's Electronic Music Festival (2006–present) continue the DEMF's traditions, with each name change reflecting shifts in festival management. All of these festivals featured performances by musicians and DJs, and emphasized the progressive qualities of the culture surrounding electronic music.
The International Riverfront is host to part of the Detroit International Jazz Festival held in Hart Plaza each Labor Day weekend. Hart Plaza is also the traditional location of rallies to celebrate championships won by Detroit's major sports teams. Both Detroit and Windsor have hosted the Red Bull Air Race World Championship on the International Riverfront.
Detroit is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. Detroit had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 census, making it the 29th-most populous city in the United States. The Metro Detroit area, home to 4.3 million people, is the second-largest in the Midwest after the Chicago metropolitan area and the 14th-largest in the United States. A significant cultural center, Detroit is known for its contributions to music, art, architecture and design, in addition to its historical automotive background.
The Detroit River flows west and south for 24 nautical miles from Lake St. Clair to Lake Erie as a strait in the Great Lakes system. The river divides the metropolitan areas of Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario—an area collectively referred to as Detroit–Windsor—and forms part of the border between Canada and the United States. The Ambassador Bridge, the Detroit–Windsor Tunnel, and the Michigan Central Railway Tunnel connect the cities.
The East Coast Greenway is a 3,000-mile (4,800 km) pedestrian and bicycle route between Maine and Florida along the East Coast of the United States. The nonprofit East Coast Greenway Alliance was created in 1991 with the goal to use the entire route with off-road, shared-use paths; as of 2021, over 1,000 mi (1,600 km) of the route (35%) meets these criteria. In 2020, the Greenway received over 50 million visits.
The Renaissance Center is a complex of seven connected skyscrapers in downtown Detroit, Michigan, United States. The Renaissance Center complex is on the Detroit International Riverfront and is owned and used by General Motors as its world headquarters. The central tower has been the tallest building in Michigan since its completion in 1977.
Windsor's Department of Parks and Recreation maintains 3,000 acres (12 km2) of green space, 180 parks, 40 miles (64 km) of trails, 22 miles (35 km) of sidewalk, 60 parking lots, vacant lands, natural areas and forest cover within the City of Windsor, as well as the Bike Trails, Bike Lanes, and Bike-Friendly Streets.
The architecture of metropolitan Detroit continues to attract the attention of architects and preservationists alike. With one of the world's recognizable skylines, Detroit's waterfront panorama shows a variety of architectural styles. The post-modern neogothic spires of One Detroit Center refer to designs of the city's historic Art Deco skyscrapers. Together with the Renaissance Center, they form the city's distinctive skyline.
Tourism in metropolitan Detroit, Michigan is a significant factor for the region's culture and for its economy, comprising nine percent of the area's two million jobs. About 19 million people visit Metro Detroit spending an estimated 6 billion in 2019. In 2009, this number was about 15.9 million people, spending an estimated $4.8 billion. Detroit is one of the largest American cities and metropolitan regions to offer casino resort hotels. Leading multi-day events throughout Metro Detroit draw crowds of hundreds of thousands to over three million people. More than fifteen million people cross the highly traveled nexus of the Ambassador Bridge and the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel annually. Detroit is at the center of an emerging Great Lakes Megalopolis. An estimated 46 million people live within a 300-mile (480 km) radius of Metro Detroit.
A linear park is a type of park that is significantly longer than it is wide. These linear parks are strips of public land running along canals, rivers, streams, defensive walls, electrical lines, or highways and shorelines. Examples of linear parks include everything from wildlife corridors to riverways to trails, capturing the broadest sense of the word. Other examples include rail trails, which are disused railroad beds converted for recreational use by removing existing structures. Commonly, these linear parks result from the public and private sectors acting on the dense urban need for open green space. Linear parks stretch through urban areas, coming through as a solution for the lack of space and need for urban greenery. They also effectively connect different neighborhoods in dense urban areas as a result, and create places that are ideal for activities such as jogging or walking. Linear parks may also be categorized as greenways. In Australia, a linear park along the coast is known as a foreshoreway. When being designed, linear parks appear unique as they are planned around the public's opinion of how the space will affect them.
Planning and development in Detroit since the late 20th century has attempted to enhance the economy and quality of life of Detroit, Michigan, United States. In 1970, the private group Detroit Renaissance began to facilitate development in the city. Its successor, Business Leaders for Michigan, has continued to facilitate development into the 21st century. Projects have included new commercial facilities, revitalization of neighborhoods, hospitality infrastructure, and improvements to recreational and public facilities, such as the QLine light rail project.
The Roberts Riverwalk Urban Resort Hotel, formerly the Parke-Davis Research Laboratory also once known as Building 55-Detroit Research, is a luxury hotel on the Detroit International Riverfront in Detroit, Michigan. The former research facility was redeveloped as a boutique luxury hotel in the 1980s. The building was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1976 for its historic significance as an early research laboratory.
Belle Isle Park, known simply as Belle Isle, is a 982-acre island park in Detroit, Michigan, developed in the late 19th century. It consists of Belle Isle, an island in the Detroit River, as well as several surrounding islets. The U.S.-Canada border is in the channel south of Belle Isle.
The Dequindre Cut is a below-grade pathway, formerly a Grand Trunk Western Railroad line, located on the east side of Detroit, Michigan, just west of St. Aubin Street. Much of the Cut has been converted to a greenway; the colorful graffiti along the pathway has been left in place.
Philip A. Hart Plaza, in downtown Detroit, is a city plaza along the Detroit River. It is located more or less on the site at which Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac landed in 1701 when he founded Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit, the settlement that became Detroit. In 2011, the Detroit-Wayne County Port Authority opened its new cruise ship passenger terminal and dock at Hart Plaza, adjacent to the Renaissance Center, which receives major cruise ships such as the MS Hamburg and the Yorktown.
The William G. Milliken State Park and Harbor is a public recreation area located on the Detroit River just east of downtown Detroit, Michigan, on a portion of the city's International Riverfront. The state park's 31 acres (13 ha) include wetlands, paved trails, and a 52-slip harbor of refuge. A 63-foot (19 m) conical brick lighthouse tower, designed as a scaled-down replica of the Tawas Point Light, marks the harbor entrance.
Transportation in metropolitan Detroit comprises an expansive system of roadways, multiple public transit systems, a major international airport, freight railroads, and ports. Located on the Detroit River along the Great Lakes Waterway, Detroit is a significant city in international trade, with two land crossings to Canada. Three primary Interstate highways serve the region.
Detroit is a popular city for cycling. It is flat with an extensive road network with a number of recreational and competitive opportunities and is, according to cycling advocate David Byrne, one of the top eight biking cities in the world. The city has invested in greenways and bike lanes and other bicycle-friendly infrastructure. Bike rental is available from the riverfront and tours of the city's architecture can be booked.
This is a list of trails and greenways in Detroit.
The Chicago Riverwalk is a multi-use public open space located on the south bank of the main branch of the Chicago River in Chicago, extending from Lake Michigan and Lake Shore Drive westward to Lake Street. The Chicago Riverwalk contains restaurants, bars, cafes, small parks, boat and kayak rentals, a Vietnam War memorial, and other amenities.
The Scioto Mile Promenade, also known simply as the Promenade, is a public park and promenade in downtown Columbus, Ohio. The park is part of the Scioto Mile network of parks and trails around the city's downtown area, and has a riverwalk stretching along the east bank of the Scioto River, from Battelle Riverfront Park to Bicentennial Park.
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