Detroit Today: Exploring the evolution and latest expansion of Detroit’s Riverwalk
Visitors to the riverfront can now walk or bike 3.5 miles along the river, from Joe Louis Arena to the Belle Isle Bridge, without interruption.
A ribbon cutting celebration was held on Saturday, Oct. 21 to mark the completion of the East Riverfront and Uniroyal Promenade.
The Detroit Riverfront Conservancy recently unveiled a half-mile expansion to Detroit’s Riverwalk that allows visitors to walk or bike 3.5 miles along the river, without interruption, from the Joe Louis Arena to the Belle Isle Bridge.
Now one of the city’s defining gems, the evolution of Detroit’s riverfront took more than 20 years to materialize — with the latest expansion of the Uniroyal Promenade marking what many believed to be an impossible hurdle due to heavy industrial contamination from the multiple factories that previously operated there.
Mark Wallace, president and CEO of the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, joined Detroit Today on Tuesday to discuss the Uniroyal Promenade expansion and what it means for Detroiters.
Subscribe to Detroit Today on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.
Guest:
Mark Wallace is the president and CEO of the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy. He says developments like the Uniroyal Promenade will help ensure generations of Detroiters will have access to Detroit’s riverfront.
“I think that 20 years of public access, and the focus on the people and not on the development has really changed the narrative here in Detroit,” said Wallace. “I think the community will have this ferocious dedication and this ferocious love that’s going to keep this a place that’s used by the kids and community, even as we see new development come.”
Listen to Detroit Today with host Stephen Henderson weekdays from 9-10 a.m. ET on 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand.
Trusted, accurate, up-to-date.
WDET strives to make our journalism accessible to everyone. As a public media institution, we maintain our journalistic integrity through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.
