The Project
On the way to Hamburg's 105th district
Ensuring good living conditions in the city while creating additional living space are the most important challenges against the backdrop of Hamburg’s growth. This requires two complementary strategies: densification in the inner city – ‘more city in the city’ – to steer growth into existing neighbourhoods with good infrastructure. And Hamburg’s expansion into its outer urban areas, towards greater urbanity, under the slogan: ‘more city in new places’.
Two complementary strategies are needed: more city within the city and more city in new locations.
The early beginnings
As early as the 1920s, Fritz Schumacher, then Chief Planning Director, developed an axis concept with his so-called Federplan (feather plan), depicting the organic development of Hamburg and its neighbouring cities, which also extended to the district of Bergedorf. In the 1970s, as part of the land use plan for the Billwerder-Allermöhe development area, with the exception of the Billebogen, almost all areas east of Mittlerer Landweg were designated as residential areas. Today, around 100 years later, a new district is to be built here: Oberbillwerder.
Against this backdrop, in September 2016 the Senate commissioned IBA Hamburg GmbH to draw up a master plan for the Oberbillwerder area. This phase also includes the preparation of a cost and financing plan and intensive citizen participation.
Ideas workshop © Johannes Arlt / IBA Hamburg
The planning
The planning horizon for the realisation of the liveable, affordable and sustainable Oberbillwerder district is well over a decade. One of the most important factors in ensuring that these ambitious goals can be planned is the early establishment of continuous and holistic management of the development process. To guarantee this, the Hamburg Senate set up a new development company, IBA Projektentwicklungs GmbH & Co.KG (IPEG), at the beginning of 2018, paving the way for the realisation of the second-largest urban development project.
In May 2018, after a two-year planning process, the winning design, ‘The Connected City’, by the international planning team ADEPT ApS from Copenhagen, Karres en Brands from Hilversum and Transsolar from Stuttgart, was selected by a jury of experts. The innovative design was successfully transformed into a master plan by IBA Hamburg in consultation with the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing, the Bergedorf District Office and experts, and was approved by the Hamburg Senate on 26 February 2019.
Ideas workshop © Johannes Arlt / IBA Hamburg
Ideas workshop © Johannes Arlt / IBA Hamburg
The aim
Covering approximately 118 hectares, Oberbillwerder is not only Hamburg’s second-largest urban development project, it will also become the Hanseatic city’s 105th district and is set to be something very special: the aim is to create lively neighbourhoods with a wide range of options for living, working, education, culture, leisure, sport and recreation. One challenge is to integrate the landscape and residential areas. The development of the new district offers the opportunity to create new, attractive workplaces for future residents in addition to a diverse range of housing options.
The individual topics covered by the master plan are further specified in the functional plan. On 25 April 2019, the Bergedorf district assembly decided to initiate the development plan procedure. In March 2025, the Senate approved the development plan procedure. Initial development work and preparatory construction measures are expected to begin in autumn 2025. Building construction can then commence.
The players
IBA Hamburg
The IBA Hamburg is a full subsidiary of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg. As an urban development company, IBA Hamburg is planning Oberbillwerder, the 105th district of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, in close cooperation with the Bergedorf district office and the Authority for Urban Development and Housing. At the beginning of 2018, the Hamburg Senate established a new development company, IBA Projektentwicklungs GmbH & Co.KG (IPEG), to carry out the realisation of Oberbillwerder.
District Bergedorf
The Bergedorf district is responsible for all necessary planning steps (the original technical and administrative responsibilities) for Oberbillwerder in close cooperation with IBA Hamburg GmbH and the Authority for Urban Development and Housing. The head of the Bergedorf district office chairs the Oberbillwerder steering group together with the Chief Planning Director.
Authority for Urban Development and Housing
The Authority for Urban Development and Housing is the competent specialist authority and is responsible, among other things, for inter-agency coordination for Oberbillwerder. The Chief Planning Director, together with the head of the Bergedorf District Office, chairs the Oberbillwerder Steering Group.
Hamburg demonstrates how it is done
Oberbillwerder is a showcase project nationwide – recognised for its sustainable planning and full of ideas for better community living.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the key players?
The authorities involved are the Authority of Urban Development and Housing of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg as the responsible authority and client of IBA Hamburg GmbH, IBA Hamburg GmbH as project developer, the district of Bergedorf as planning authority, IBA Projektentwicklungs GmbH & Co.KG (IPEG) as landowner, and the Autority of Environment, Climate, Energy and Agriculture as another participant. A steering group chaired by the district administration and the Chief Planning Officer has been set up.
Who owns the land? Will the farmers in Oberbillwerder be expropriated?
The land on which Oberbillwerder will be built has been owned by the City of Hamburg since the 1920s and is currently leased to five agricultural businesses (two of which are full-time operations) for cultivation under agreed terms. The City of Hamburg has been in discussions with the tenants concerned for several years in order to find joint solutions.
The Bergedorf land use plan expressly designates the Oberbillwerder area as a residential area and not as agricultural land. As part of the Oberbillwerder project development, the land belonging to the City of Hamburg was acquired by IBA Projektentwicklungs GmbH & Co.KG (IPEG).
