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.

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.

The Refuge includes islands, coastal wetlands, marshes, shoals, and waterfront lands along 48 miles (77 km) of the Detroit River and Western Lake Erie shoreline.

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.

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.

[6] 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 mile (1.6 km) long trail primarily connects the Lafayette Park neighborhood and Eastern Market to the Riverwalk.

[1] Construction of phase I of the Dequindre Cut Greenway, extending from the River one mile (1.6 km) 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 (6.1 m) bituminous path; access ramps for bicyclists, pedestrians and emergency vehicles; landscaping; lighting; signage and security cameras.

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 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.

It is located more or less on the site at which Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac landed in 1701 when he founded Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit, the settlement that became Detroit.

[11] At the center of the plaza is the Horace E. Dodge and Son Memorial Fountain, designed by Isamu Noguchi and Walter Budd in 1978.

The historic Dry Dock Complex is an additional redeveloped site along the east riverfront which includes residential units and retail.

The Detroit International Riverfront includes a 5+1⁄2-mile (8.8 km) promenade called the River Walk which is to extend from the Ambassador Bridge to Belle Isle.

The river walk is designed to supplement new retail and residential development, and includes the newly renovated historic Alden Park Towers.

All of these festivals featured performances by musicians and DJs, and emphasized the progressive qualities of the culture surrounding electronic music.

Hart Plaza is also the traditional location of rallies to celebrate championships won by Detroit's major sports teams.