Frequently asked questions

How can I rent or buy accommodation in HafenCity? How green is the district? And what are the responsibilities of HafenCity Hamburg GmbH? Answers to frequently asked questions

Mobility

How do I get to HafenCity without a car?

HafenCity enjoys a variety of connections to the public transport network and is quick and easy to reach, whether by bus, U-Bahn underground or ferry

When will I be able to use the U4 and where will it stop?

The U4 will start operating in September 2012, initially at 10-minute intervals. Inside HafenCity, the Überseequartier and HafenCity University stops are currently under construction. In the medium term, the U4 will also make "the leap over the Elbe".

Where can I park my car in HafenCity?

HafenCity will offer public and private underground car garages. All buildings contain two to three floors of parking space inside their plinths, which also serve to elevate the building above flood level.

What are the plans for the HafenCity cycling lane network?

It is too early to see how the network of cycling lanes will look in HafenCity because they cannot be laid out until the buildings on adjacent private sites are completed. The transport concept provides for three sorts of cycling path in HafenCity.

Why doesn’t the U4 line have any overground sections?

Before the final route of the new U4 underground line was decided, alternatives with an overground layout were also analyzed. There were important arguments against realizing the above-ground version.

Living & Working

How are HafenCity’s businesses developing?

More than 270 companies had moved into HafenCity by fall 2010. And the number of jobs provided has almost doubled in the past two years. The new city district offers the best conditions for the location of small and medium-size as well as large enterprises.

How can I rent or buy accommodation in HafenCity?

There are many routes to renting or buying your own home. New buildings are being completed all the time. HafenCity Hamburg GmbH’s booklet on housing, working and living in HafenCity offers an overview.

What is the cost of accommodation in HafenCity?

The price for rental apartments on Dalmannkai works out at EUR 12 to 18 per square meter; for housing cooperatives the price is between EUR 9 and 13.5 per sq. m. Purchase prices for apartments range from EUR 3,000 to 4,500 per sq. m, although exclusive homes close to the water may fetch up to EUR 10,000 per sq. m.

Which companies are already settled in HafenCity?

There are already around 200 businesses (as of autumn 2008) operating out of HafenCity. And this new part of town offers optimal conditions for small or medium businesses as well as very large companies to set up operations.

Who lives in HafenCity?

People with greatly differing lifestyles and concepts can find accommodation to suit them: young professionals, singles, couples, families, so-called “empty nesters” and seniors all now live in the new district.

Leisure & Culture

What kind of shops are opening in HafenCity?

Local supplies are already available to residents and people working locally in Dalmannkai neighborhood and its surroundings. In Überseequartier innovative outlets as well as "normal" supermarkets, drugstores, fashion and accessory shops come up since 2010.

What shopping is available?

Even in the current early phase of HafenCity’s development, plenty of local suppliers are available. The district is also a budding location for boutiques, shopping chains and the flagship stores of international brands.

Is there a good selection of bistros, cafés, restaurants and bars?

The number of bistros, cafés, restaurants, bakeries and bars is ever-expending alike HafenCity itself.

What does HafenCity have to offer for kids?

In the new "Schatzinsel" (Treasure Island) playground 850 sq. m play space awaits them; a parents’ initiative also runs an all-weather playhouse. Up and coming soccer players are already training for Störtebeker sports club, while music and sport is on offer in the Katharinenschule premises after school.

What sports activities are available in HafenCity?

For joggers the waterside promenades are a favorite route, while skaters prefer the many squares and ramps. Green spaces taking shape in the planned parks over the coming years will offer facilities for play, sport and exercise.

What is the concept for the Science Center and when will it be ready?

The concept for the Science Center resembles a construction kit for the earth, focusing on ten main science topics. Content will be made accessible to children, teenagers and adults.

How many cruise ships visit per year and what level of emissions do they produce?

In 2011, Hamburg will be visited by 119 cruise ships. Because so many of them make directly for the HafenCity cruise ship terminal, the problem of their emissions was already taken into account in planning of the new city district.

Concepts & Planning

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What are the responsibilities of HafenCity Hamburg GmbH?

It is the responsibility of HafenCity Hamburg GmbH (HCH) to ensure that management of Europe’s largest inner-city development is integrated. It combines responsibilities for most aspects of the development, so it can offer potential site owners, as well as users, residents and government departments, a one-stop shop solution.

HCH is owned 100 per cent by the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg and is the trustee of its "special city and port assets": almost 100 per cent of the land in the HafenCity project area belongs to these special assets. HCH finances its activities through the sale of these pieces of land. Furthermore, private investors have put in an additional EUR 6.6 bn. The public sector invests EUR 2 bn. for projects involving connections to external traffic infrastructure (e.g. U4 underground line) or public buildings such as the Elbphilharmonie Concert Hall, HafenCity University or schools.

HCH’s primary function is to make available, develop, market and sell pieces of land. It is also responsible for communication, public relations, event management, publicity and promotion of the cultural activities and the arts in this new part of town. For public areas, HCH takes on the role of developer itself, putting in place infrastructure (e.g. flood-protected roads and bridges), and planning and building squares, parks, sports and play areas.

The quality of development in the district is guaranteed by HCH taking on allocative functions, such as running urban and architectural competitions, which are coordinated with the Ministry for Urban Planning & Environment and the developers concerned. HCH does not normally sell plots for housing construction to the highest bidder; it is the quality of the concept that counts. The company also influences market conditions, for instance by bringing in numerous investors, which increases the intensity of competition. With the HafenCity Ecolabel, a marketable certification for sustainable building was introduced which is intensively employed today.

Despite its "GmbH" status as a private company with limited liability, HCH is an excellent vehicle for representing public interests: the supervisory board comprises six members who are all senators. Sales of land usually have to be agreed by the Land Commission, which is made up of representatives of the parties sitting in the Hamburg parliament; the Urban Development Commission is responsible for decisions involving building development. Decisions affecting unusually large projects such as the Elbphilharmonie Concert Hall, the International Maritime Museum or HafenCity University, or those which will involve budget funds, are approved by the Senate or the parliament, the Bürgerschaft.