Last year Hamburg bought twice as much land as 2021

31 hectares of the new land will be used for conservation, while the rest is earmarked for strategic development and housing

Yesterday, Hamburg’s Commission for Land Reorganisation (Kommission für Bodenordnung) published its annual report for 2022. According to the report, the Commission has purchased more than double the land from the private market in the city, which is earmarked for both development and conservation.

The city managed land transactions with a volume of 447 million euros, compared to 2021’s 290 million and spent around 225 million on land purchases. Additionally, some of the new real estate will be used for the creation of subsidised housing in Hafen City.

According to an official statement from the city, the growth of volume for the Commission is largely liked to new pre-emptive rights. In simple terms, that means that local authorities closely monitor real estate sales and prevent speculation.

Better deals for the city

In 2022, Hamburg purchased around 30 hectares of significant areas for urban development, compared to 2021’s 11.2 hectares. The Commission managed the growth through the increased strategic use of pre-emption rights. Authorities spent around 194 million euros, while the land would be used for the development of ScienceCity Bahrenfeld, the centre of Wilhelmsburg and the highway development and mobility concept Altona.

Moreover, the city acquired 31 hectares for landscape and nature conservation, compared to just 16 hectares last year. The purchases cost around 2 million euros and the land would be used for nature and landscape conservation in preserving habitats for animals and wildflowers.

Additionally, the city sold land earmarked for the development of housing with a special emphasis on housing. This will enable the construction of 1,650 new residential units, with 1,300 in Hafen City. Around 40% of the new housing would be reserved for public and subsidised units, while 9% would be for shared apartments.

In 2021, the Commission approved the sale of land for the development of just 1,090 apartments, thus last marked a 50% increase in volume. This achievement was honoured by Hamburg’s Finance Senator Andreas Dressel, who was quoted explaining that the city aims to grow its land portfolio through strategic purchases.