Living

Living in the Center: HafenCity as a Place of Neighborly Coexistence

With its future population of some 12,000 residents, HafenCity is reinforcing “living” in city-center life. Urbanity and neighborly coexistence complement each other

The city district has attributes to appeal to everyone - whether families, young couples, single people or seniors (© Daniel Barthmann) Start slideshow

The variety of housing in HafenCity is already quite exceptional. It includes a small-scale mix of apartments to rent or to buy in different price brackets, although the spectrum ranges from the luxury segment through to publicly subsidized housing and also takes in the special requirements of groups such as musicians, designers or seniors. Building cooperatives and joint building ventures play a special role in the development of living in HafenCity, since they serve a mid-price segment of the market and often act as an important catalyst in formation of a neighborly culture. Special factors in HafenCity, such as flood protection, foundations of buildings and high ecological standards, mean that rentals run at EUR 2-3 per sqm more than comparable new-builds, yet the spectrum of concepts, prices and architectural styles available attracts many people to live in HafenCity. The fact that many households are prepared to pay more is also due to the much lower cost of mobility in this urban environment.
 
Family friendly housing

Families particularly appreciate the opportunity to be able to combine family and job easily and flexibly. Here it is not just the availability of jobs, but also the high-quality child care on offer since the Katharinen primary school and kindergarten opened in 2009. Now 11.5 percent of HafenCity households include children, in line with proportions in other inner-city districts.

With the realization of more attractive residential locations with qualities for all generations, such as Am Lohsepark and Baakenhafen, demand from families will increase further. To meet that potential need, a secondary school and another primary school as well as more kindergartens will be added in the next few years. Three play cum community houses (Grasbrookpark, Lohsepark, Baakenhafen leisure zone) are currently in preparation and will be well received. A children’s arts house on Strandkai is also in the planning stage.
 
Families, retirees and young couples

Another strongly represented group of residents are couples aged 50+, who want a change after their children have moved out, as well as pensioners, who pick HafenCity as their place of retirement. The wish to open a new (residential) chapter in their lives has led them to choose a place where attractive activities, such as culture and events, are just around the corner, all adding up to a socially alive environment. Their direct neighbors could be young, career-driven couples and single people. Many residents appreciate the situation on the waterfront, the individual home types, as well as good accessibility to the main station and airport.

Stimulating initiative and dialog

Whether for families, sports cracks or the culture-inclined, a stimulating social infrastructure has already developed in HafenCity. Many residents are active, organizing  the digital residents’ forum hafencity-leben.de, for instance, or the HafenCity-Zeitung, a paper started by one of the locals on his own initiative (www.hafen-citynews.de), regular local get-togethers, special occasions such as a flea market or a summer fête, and a series of courtyard parties. Störtebeker SV sports club offers a wide range of activities, while Spielhaus HafenCity e.V., a parents’ initiative, has organized a new play area for children.

Identification with the new district is actively promoted by HafenCity Hamburg GmbH, which encourages such initiatives and seeks intensive dialog with residents. HafenCity Hamburg GmbH regards it as a responsibility not only to establish a mix of diverse uses, but to make sure that they maintain a careful equilibrium.

One initiative to encourage even greater responsibility was the founding of Netzwerk HafenCity in 2009. The network is explicit that it is not a vehicle for realizing the specific interests of individuals, but rather for finding cooperative solutions between residents and businesses. In addition, it has already become thoroughly involved in initiating events and festivities, also increasingly with surrounding districts. The network is thus making a real contribution to neighborly coexistence in HafenCity and beyond.