After experiencing periods of decline from Post-war suburbanization, the most recent following Expo '74, the neighborhood has become revitalized after the renovation of the River Park Square Mall in 1999, which has become the most prominent shopping center in the city.

Spokane's city streets use a grid plan that is oriented to the four cardinal directions with its origin point on the east end of downtown.

The Riverside neighborhoods is bounded by I-90 to the south, Division Street to the east, Monroe Street (north of the Spokane River), West Riverside Avenue, and Sunset Boulevard (south of the Spokane River) to the west, and Boone Avenue to the north.

The commercial district or "downtown core" comprises the portion of the Riverside neighborhood south of the Spokane River and east of Monroe Street.

The presence of the railroad separates parts of the downtown core and creates a long, straight, and often blighted alleyway called "Railroad Alley" between 1st and 2nd Avenue between Wall Street and Adams Street; since the alleyway is wider than typical, many see potential in the space and the community has discussed it as a possible place for pocket parks or even a pedestrian or alternative transportation retail corridor with murals.

[6][7] To the west is the National Historic District of Browne's Addition, one of Spokane's oldest neighborhoods as well as the most population dense.

Aside from location, Spokane's city center has many areas that can be distinguished by belonging to one or more districts with a theme, where there is a cluster of similar buildings or businesses, some more defined than others.

[9] The park has views of the Spokane Falls, and holds a number of civic attractions, including a Skyride that is a rebuilt gondola that carries visitors across the falls from high above the river gorge, a 5-story IMAX theater, and a small amusement park (which is converted into an ice-skating rink during the winter months) with numerous rides and concessions.

Located south and west of the Downtown Core, the Davenport District hosts many concerts, plays, galleries, and other shows.

There are multiple tasting rooms between Lincoln and Cedar Street along First and Second Avenue, making it a popular destination for brewery tours.

The business types located around the Convention Center District provide a common overlap with businesses supporting the adjacent University District as well, helping to alleviate some of the "urban dead zones" that are all too commonly created when the convention centers - particularly large ones in major cities much larger than Spokane - are not in use.

The neighborhood is one of the largest urban infill development projects in the city's history and has reclaimed a brownfield formerly occupied by rail yards.

[17] The initial proposal for Kendall Yards called for 2,600 residences and 1 million square feet of commercial space, worth up to $1 billion.

However, the scaled-back plans did have its advantages; the development was more likely to be successful, the more land would be available for open green space, and the reduced density would be more compatible with the existing fabric of the adjacent West Central neighborhood to the north.

Designed on new urbanist principles, the plan and makeup of the neighborhood emphasizes mixed-use development, diversity of densities and housing types, open space, and walkability.

Green and recreational space is also emphasized; the community includes parks, sidewalks, and plazas and also completed a long-awaited infill section of the Centennial Trail, extending it from Downtown through the entire 78-acre (0.32 km2) site along the northern banks of the Spokane River Gorge.

[20][21] James N. Glover and Jasper Matheney, Oregonians passing through the region in 1873, recognized the value of the Spokane River and its falls for the purpose of water power.

Eventually the winds and the fire died down; 32 blocks of Spokane's downtown core had been destroyed and one person killed.

[24][25] The downtown was swiftly rebuilt with local investment from the regions mineral resources using brick, stone masonry, and terra cotta.

[5] Within a year, 100 buildings had been built on the blank canvas that is now the downtown core, much of it from esteemed architects such as Herman Preusse, Kirtland Cutter, and John K. Dow, and Spokane was able to host the 1890 Northwest Industrial Exposition.

[26] The transition from rail travel to the personal automobile was complete in 1936 when Spokane's streetcar service was ended and had a negative impact on the vitality of the downtown core as a destination.

A recreation park showcasing the Spokane Falls was the preferred option, and after successful negotiation to relocate the railroad facilities on Havermale Island,[28] they executed on a proposal to host the first environmentally themed World's Fair in Expo '74 on May 4, becoming the smallest city at the time to host a World's Fair.

[29] This event transformed Spokane's downtown, removing a century of railroad infrastructure and re-inventing the urban core.

[34] The project was funded by local entrepreneur Walt Worthy, who also added a Safari-themed 20 story tower to the hotel in 2007.

Other major projects included the renovation of the Holley-Mason Building, the building of the Big Easy concert house (renamed the Knitting Factory), the remodeling of the historic Montvale Hotel and Fox Theater (now home to the Spokane Symphony) and the expansion of the Spokane Convention Center.

[38] Downtown Spokane contains a wide range of architectural styles that reflects the tastes of the times in the built environment from the 1890s to today.

Most of Spokane's notable buildings and landmarks in the Riverside neighborhood and the downtown commercial district were rebuilt after the Great Fire of 1889 in the Romanesque Revival style.

Downtown structures designed by Cutter include the Spokane Club, Washington Water Power Substation, Monroe Street Bridge (featured in the city seal), Central Steam Plant, and the Davenport Hotel.

[40] In downtown, Heylman designed The Parkade, Spokane Regional Health Building, Riverfalls Tower, Cathedral Plaza, and the Burlington Northern Latah Creek Bridge.

The city is a stop for Amtrak's Empire Builder on its way to and from Chicago's Union Station en route to Seattle and Portland.