Campus Martius Park

Detroiters and national observers alike have raved about Campus Martius since it opened in November 2004 at the city’s historic crossroads, a once gritty intersection where five major streets converge. The inaugural winner of the Amanda Burden Urban Open Space Award, the project is a 2.5-acre (1-ha) oasis of imaginative horticulture, green granite walls, and crushed limestone paths, returning vibrancy and spurring investment in the formerly downtrodden downtown. The $20 million urban park manages to serve as both a peaceful refuge and a popular destination that attracts more than 2 million visitors a year.