Detroit Riverwalk named best in US for 3rd year
The Detroit Riverwalk is the best riverwalk in America, according to the USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. This is the third year in a row the city’s riverwalk has earned the title, the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy said.
Detroit beat out other nominees including
Tampa, Florida; Louisville, Kentucky; Cincinnati; San Antonio; Boston; and
Indianapolis, which were selected by USA TODAY 10Best editors and a panel of urban planning experts. Voting was open to the general public.
“We are thrilled to be named America’s Best Riverwalk once again,” said Matt Cullen, chairman of the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, in a recent news release.
“The transformation of our riverfront over these past two decades has been tremendous. To go from a blighted and underused riverfront to one that is recognized as the best in the country three years in a row is a testament to how much people love the riverfront and to what our community can achieve when we all work together,” Cullen said.
The Detroit Riverwalk features more than 3.5 miles of parks and greenways. It has been growing in popularity, with 3.5 million visitors annually, and the goal is to eventually create a 5.5-mile path from the Ambassador Bridge to Gabriel Richard Park, connecting eight parks, the conservancy said in the release.
Marc Pasco, Detroit Riverfront Conservancy spokesperson, said the organization is humbled, honored and grateful for those who voted for Detroit’s attraction.
The Riverfront Conservancy has been connecting and transforming the pieces of the riverwalk
since 2003.
“I think that this win and the attention that comes along with it, not only is it a great source of pride for all of us within the city ... but
I also think it gets people throughout the region and throughout the country thinking ‘I might have to check out this Detroit Riverfront,’ ” Pasco said.