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

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Which companies are already settled in HafenCity?

HafenCity is attracting more and more businesses.  To date (autumn 2008), some 200 have already established premises. And the new district offers optimal conditions for small or medium businesses as well as very large companies to set up operations. Companies with several hundred employees - and in some cases even more than a thousand - have already moved into HafenCity, including SAP, Kühne & Nagel, Garbe, China Shipping, and Unilever. They find ideal conditions, inspiring them to design and move into innovative headquarters or branch offices.
Well into the construction phase already are the headquarters of Germanischer Lloyd and the Spiegel group. Both businesses, moving in respectively in 2010 and 2011, will have more than one thousand people working for them in HafenCity.
Alongside these large enterprises are numerous smaller and medium size businesses, particularly in the creative and modern services sectors. Media and logistics both play important roles in HafenCity, followed by trading, finance and IT services, as well as management consultancies. Many of these businesses are planning to grow in tandem with the new HafenCity district: their needs can be catered to by a variety of smaller or medium sized or individually divisible office suites - and in the best inner-city locations, or even sometimes on the waterfront.

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

Why was the Ecolabel reworked?

Initially the Ecolabel applied to residential and office buildings; in 2010 its remit was broadened to include hotel, retail and mixed use buildings.

When will the new district be finished?

HafenCity is being developed in stages. The first areas to be realized are in the north and west, where it directly adjoins the present-day inner city and the Speicherstadt. Completion of the whole district is scheduled for 2025.

Is HafenCity causing gentrification?

The term "gentrification" cannot be applied to HafenCity, because residents cannot be forced out of their homes by higher-income households, since no housing existed there until now.

Will public space in HafenCity be privatized?

The development of HafenCity is actually giving Hamburgers back a piece of their city - plus generous new spaces along the waterfront. Brownfield sites - areas formerly used by industry - are being transformed into an inner-city district with high-quality amenity value. Furthermore, many private spaces are open for public use.

Is HafenCity flood proof against storm surges?

All buildings in HafenCity are elevated on concrete plinths (German "Warften") at a height of about 8 meters above sea level; even in cases of severe high water, this height will not be reached. Roads and bridges are also being built above the flood-line at least 7.5 meters above sea level.

What role does sustainability play in HafenCity?

When the HafenCity project began, the main focus was on topics like sustainability or regeneration of the central former port area where the ground was partially contaminated, as well as the compatibility of housing and port operations. As planning progressed further, new topics followed such as an energy-efficient, climate-friendly heating supply and the development of sustainable building certification.

How green is HafenCity?

HafenCity will display a whole series of typologies of open public spaces: squares planted with trees, smaller "pocket parks", grassed and play areas, as well as Lohsepark, the central inner-city park; all streets will have tree planting.

What are the responsibilities of HafenCity Hamburg GmbH?

HafenCity Hamburg GmbH (HCH) is responsible for ensuring the integrated management of Europe’s largest inner-city development. It combines responsibilities for most aspects of development, which means that it is a one-stop shop for potential site owners, as well as users, residents and government departments.

How are sites in HafenCity allocated to developers?

Developers have to face the competition: where housing sites, hotels and buildings primarily involve retail, there will be a tendering process; where office buildings are concerned, they must be proved to bring measurable economic benefit.

How are decisions made on architects or architectural designs for individual projects?

Depending on the size and uses of the project, architectural competitions are either held involving a limited number of invited architects, or preceded by an open application procedure.

How do streets come by their names?

The decision to give roads and squares in the new HafenCity district the names of various groups of motifs was made by Hamburg’s Senate in 2005. Inspiration was provided by international connections of the Port of Hamburg, both old and new.

How is the HafenCity Ecolabel awarded?

The HafenCity Ecolabel, which honors special (silver) and outstanding (gold) achievements in construction of sustainable buildings is important as a stimulus for sustainable building in HafenCity.

How is HafenCity financed?

Public financing of major international urban development projects is normally highly complex, e.g. because of mixed financing and the provision of funds from various public levels or, particularly prone to risk, bonds financed by local authorities which are serviced by future tax revenues or by attempts to roll over public responsibilities onto private investors. HafenCity’s financing model, on the other hand, is clear-cut and low-risk.