One brazen entrepreneur from Detroit is looking to raise funds to bring his "zombie theme park" concept to life, Sarah Cox reports.
Like so many others in Detroit, Marc Siwak is troubled by the state his hometown is in. Residential occupancy has slumped below 40% in vast swaths of the city, and many abandoned houses have decayed beyond repair. Not one to take such indignation lying down, Siwak has launched a plan to make the highest and best use of these blighted spaces: convert them into a sprawling, post-apocalyptic zombie theme park.
Z World Detroit, as Siwak calls it, will offer tourists and locals alike the experience of being "chased down by Zombies, chased through the streets; you'll be running for your life hiding out in buildings, looking for supplies and trying to establish a base."
Cox quips, "Now even visitors from the 'burbs can 'wonder if they will make it through the night.' And new Detroiters that missed 'rock bottom' can pay to have a more terrifying version of the city re-created. (No word on those admission fees yet but someone had better make sure they know to include a Coney Dog stand)."
There's just one catch: Siwak needs $145,000 to move his plans forward. Judging by the strength of the proposal's conceptual mock-ups, though, we might be better off just waiting for an actual zombie apocalypse instead.
FULL STORY: Zombie Apocalypse Theme Park Will Fix Neighborhood Blight

What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.

‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.

The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.

Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.

San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.

Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research