Every city has a heartbeat. For Detroit, that pulse reverberates from the corner where Woodward and Michigan Avenues meet—a place where memories are made, culture thrives, and resilience is on full display. That place is Campus Martius Park. And for the third straight year, the nation agrees: this is the No. 1 Public Square in America.
Detroit is not new to defying expectations. But this moment means more than a ranking. This recognition—awarded by USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards—is a statement. A declaration of what intentional public space looks like when it’s built for the people, by the people, and with the spirit of community at the center. Detroit has claimed this title before. But a three-peat? That says the soul of this city refuses to be overlooked.
Campus Martius Park is history reclaimed. Built on Detroit’s original point of origin, the park tells a story of rebirth. A space once overlooked in post-industrial plans is now a national model of what urban reinvention rooted in community can become. This space, in the heart of downtown, now draws more than 4.5 million people every year—Black, brown, white, native Detroiters and new neighbors alike—all gathering to engage, celebrate, and connect.
The Downtown Detroit Partnership (DDP), alongside the City of Detroit, has been at the helm of this transformation. David Cowan, chief public spaces officer at DDP, didn’t hesitate to s. “Campus Martius Park isn’t just a square – it’s the soul of the city,” he said. “From everyday moments to major national events, we’re proud to keep redefining how public spaces can inspire and connect. Thanks to our amazing partners and everyone who brings this place to life year-round.”
That soul is felt through every drumbeat during African World Festival performances, in the joy of children twirling on ice under city lights at The Rink, and during the echoes of conversation and laughter during lunch hours on a sunny afternoon. From Detroit Tree Lighting events presented by the DTE Foundation to Movie Nights in the D, this park is layered with lived experience and seasonal magic that doesn’t require a ticket or a dress code.
When 775,000 people showed up for the NFL Draft in 2024, Campus Martius Park didn’t just hold space—it anchored the city’s hosting spirit. The logistics were massive, but what stood out most wasn’t the scale. It was the grace. The hospitality. The authenticity that Detroiters bring every time the national spotlight turns our way.
This award, determined through public voting after a panel of subject matter experts and USA Today editors nominated contenders, is about people. Regular folks cast daily votes to name Campus Martius the nation’s best. That’s not marketing. That’s validation. That’s love. That’s a community recognizing a city that’s finally being seen for more than headlines and histories of hardship.
There’s a deeper narrative here. For decades, public spaces in Black and brown neighborhoods across the country have been stripped of investment or erased through development that ignored the needs of the community. Detroit has known that truth. From Paradise Valley to Black Bottom, we’ve buried stories beneath highways and parking lots. This win does not erase that history—but it gives space for new chapters to be written with intention and inclusion.
Campus Martius Park sits at the center of 18 public spaces now under DDP’s stewardship. Those include Cadillac Square, Capitol Park, Grand Circus Park, Beacon Park, and the powerful reclamation project known as Paradise Valley Park and Plaza. Together, these spaces tell a story of a city that is rewriting the rules of urban planning—not just beautifying space, but honoring it.
The strategy behind Campus Martius’ excellence is no accident. Since 2000, DDP has centered innovation, collaboration, and cultural relevance in its mission. It has made Detroit’s downtown a laboratory for urban placemaking, rooted in the belief that public space should not be reserved for privilege. It should reflect the people who built this city, who stayed when it was hard, and who now dance, play, rest, and rally on the grounds we all share.
That strategy includes over 1,200 free events each year. It includes summer fun at The Beach—a literal urban beach in the center of downtown. It includes the sound of jazz, hip hop, classical, and house music carried by the wind on warm nights. The park truly hosts life. It responds to Detroiters’ love language—through celebration, protest, performance, and play.
Beyond local praise, the park has garnered national acclaim. The Urban Land Institute’s Amanda Burton Award, American Planning Association’s Great Places in America recognition, and the International Downtown Association’s Award of Excellence are all badges earned for one simple reason: this park gets it. Not just in design, but in dignity. Not just in programming, but in presence. Not just in accolades, but in access.
To honor this three-peat victory, DDP released a thank-you video—a short but powerful love letter to the people who keep this space alive. It’s not a promotional campaign. It’s a reminder. A reminder that public space only becomes sacred space when community is centered.
What this award doesn’t capture—but every Detroiter feels—is what this park symbolizes. For elders who recall downtown when it was dismissed and disinvested. For young people who see themselves skating with ease and joy in a space where their grandparents were once unwelcome. For artists, vendors, food truck owners, and local entrepreneurs who find audiences and opportunities here. This is more than prestige. This is promise.
Detroit has earned this moment—not because we followed the script but because we rewrote it. Not through gentrification or exclusion, but through intentional placemaking that opens its arms. And while the work is ongoing—because equity is a journey, not a destination—this award affirms a truth that Detroiters have always known: what we build, we bless. What we nurture, grows.
The win also underscores how Detroit continues to evolve as a global destination without losing its local voice. It reminds national audiences that revitalization does not have to come at the cost of culture. And it challenges other cities to take notes—not just on design, but on listening, partnership, and purpose.
To those who cast their daily votes, walked through that park, shared memories, or poured into its soil and systems—this win belongs to you. Campus Martius Park didn’t just climb the rankings. It stayed rooted. And because of that, it keeps rising.
For a full list of 10Best Readers’ Choice winners, visit 10best.usatoday.com/awards/travel/best-public-square-2025. To see the thank-you video from DDP, check youtube.com/shorts/U1_sHTY8zO4. For Detroit, this is not the end of a story—it’s an affirmation that we are the storytellers, and this land speaks because we do.
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