DETROIT -- The Guardian, a United Kingdom-based publication, recently asked its worldwide audience for "stories of urban wandering" to help find six of the best city walks in the world.

The results are in, and the walk along the Detroit Riverfront has been ranked next to strolls through cities such as London, Istanbul, Dublin, Portland, Oregon and Plovdiv, Bulgaria.

Daniel Gilmartin submitted the story behind why Detroit's Riverfront should make the cut among the world's most beautiful urban walks.

The Detroit native, according to his Twitter page, wrote that the mix of renovated spaces, industrial-era factories "opens the mind to the challenges and changes in cities.

"A walk along the downtown waterfront shows many facets of urban space and life," Gilmartin wrote. "A block off the water is the entrance into the thriving downtown that was thought to be dead just a decade ago. Excitement and energy are all around.

"The architecture is a mix of 1920s art deco, mid-century modern and new. Wandering in and out of the grand buildings is an experience everyone can enjoy. The attention to detail and the enormous skills of the craftsman who built these icons is on full display. Everything is within a mile. Most of it is pedestrian friendly. All of it is enlightening."

In June, the Motor City was recognized in "Foot Traffic Ahead," a walkability study, as one of the top three cities "best-positioned" for growth. Detroit ranked 21st overall but came in third place for increasing walkability in the study published by George Washington University.

Christopher Leinberger, who co-authored the report, said Detroit's rise in walkability "will put a serious foundation under our regional economic growth."

The Guardian did a complete reader-submitted series on urban walking around the world, which can be seen here.