Zurich Zoo plans underground car park and new animal habitats
Tuesday 1st September 2026 on 18:01 in
Switzerland
Zurich Zoo plans to replace 1,200 surface parking spaces with an underground car park and develop new animal habitats through about 2050, SRF reports.
The zoo has drawn up a new cantonal planning scheme with the City and Canton of Zurich. The scheme is intended to set the framework for the zoo’s development over the coming decades.
The underground car park was originally planned near the Masoala Hall but is now proposed beneath a sports field belonging to the Academic Sports Association of Zurich. The existing parking areas around the zoo would be replaced by a park-like landscape. The city is preparing a leasehold agreement for the car park, which will require approval from the Zurich City Parliament.
The plan also proposes an absolute limit of 480,000 vehicle journeys to the zoo each year. If demand for parking exceeds the available spaces, drivers would be redirected to the Hohe Promenade car park in the city centre. Officials are also examining a tram extension or a cable-car station at the zoo. The cable car itself is not part of the cantonal planning scheme.
The planning scheme would also provide the basis for expanding the animal facilities. The zoo says it will continue its habitat-based approach. The Lewa Savanna and Panthera facility for big cats have already opened, while the Pantanal wetland for South American species is under construction.
Further projects include the Ndoki Forest, which is intended to provide endangered African species such as western lowland gorillas with a natural habitat featuring real trees for climbing. Planned developments also include a Sumatran rainforest for orangutans and a coastal landscape for penguins.
The scheme defines which buildings may be constructed in different parts of the zoo grounds. Zurich Cantonal Councillor Martin Neukom said the plans had undergone extensive assessments of their environmental impact and compliance with spatial-planning requirements. The planning scheme will be available for public inspection for 60 days from September 1, 2026.