ELBBERG

What ELBBERG does

ELBBERG Kruse, Rathje, Springer, Eckebrecht Partnerschaft mbB is a Hamburg-based urban and landscape planning consultancy founded in 1992. The firm operates as a private partnership of four managing partners (Gerd Kruse, Volker Rathje, Marc Springer, Berthold Eckebrecht) and delivers three integrated service lines: Stadtplanung (urban/municipal planning including legally binding Bauleitplanung and urban design frameworks), Landschaftsplanung (landscape architecture, open-space design, environmental impact assessments, and species/habitat surveys), and Erneuerbare Energien (renewable energy site planning for solar and wind projects). The core technology stack consists of standard industry tools — BricsCAD/LandCAD for CAD, QGIS for landscape mapping, SketchUp for 3D visualization, and Adobe/Microsoft 365 for documentation — supplemented by a proprietary in-house methodology called ELBplaN, developed in the internal Labor Nachhaltigkeit (Sustainability Lab) since 2021 and launched in 2023, which maps eight UN Sustainable Development Goals to structured planning workflows.

The firm serves two primary customer segments: public administrations (Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg and its subsidiaries including IBA Hamburg GmbH, Hamburger Hochbahn AG, LSBG; Landeshauptstadt Hannover; Hansestadt Lüneburg; Gemeinde Helgoland; cities of Rostock, Bremen, Flensburg, Neumünster, Neustadt in Holstein) and private-sector clients (RWE AG, German LNG Terminal GmbH, Enerparc AG, Planet Energy GmbH, medac, FRANK Projektentwicklung Wohnkonzept GmbH). Revenue is generated exclusively through fee-for-service project engagements won via competitive tendering, direct commissioning, and urban-planning competitions; all pricing is bespoke and per-project, with no public rate card. Go-to-market relies on project portfolio presentation on the website, professional association memberships (BDLA, SRL, Hamburgische Architektenkammer), and competition wins rather than sales-led outbound.

The firm has approximately 18 FTE employees (with 35 named professionals on the website including students and part-time staff), operates a single Hamburg office at Lehmweg 17, and confines its geographic focus to Northern Germany (Hamburg metropolitan region, Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Bremen). Notable engagements include the Hamburg U5 metro line integrated transport concepts (8.5 km, 15 stations, 2022-2027), Wilhelmsburger Rathausviertel Bebauungsplan 91 (~1,850 units, 40.7 ha, legally binding January 2025), Lüneburg Hanseviertel (1,300 units, 50 ha), Rostock Gehlsdorf (1,500 units, 56 ha), Bremen Tabakquartier (1,650 units, 17 ha), and the 2024-2025 Flensburg "Quartier am Gleisbach" competition first-place win (~250 units, 12.8 ha).

Name

ELBBERG

Legal name

ELBBERG Kruse, Rathje, Springer, Eckebrecht Partnerschaft mbB

Website

https://elbberg.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Short description

ELBBERG is a Hamburg-based urban and landscape planning consultancy (Partnerschaft mbB) founded in 1992, serving municipalities and private developers across Northern Germany with integrated Stadtplanung, Landschaftsplanung, and renewable energy planning services delivered by an interdisciplinary in-house team.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Urban and Landscape Planning Services

NAICS

Landscape Architectural Services (541320), Architectural Services (54131)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711), Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEUAHAAAF

Construction Environmental Management Plans (CEMP) & Permit Compliance Support

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Environmental Compliance, Monitoring & Consulting/Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) & Permitting

SECONDARYEUAHAAAC

EIA/ESIA Documentation & Technical Studies (Air/Water/Noise/Traffic)

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Environmental Compliance, Monitoring & Consulting/Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) & Permitting

SECONDARYEUAHAAAG

Environmental & Social Management Plans (ESMP) / Mitigation Monitoring

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Environmental Compliance, Monitoring & Consulting/Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) & Permitting

Keywords

• Urban planning consultancy
• Landscape architecture services
• Bauleitplanung consulting
• Renewable energy planning
• Environmental impact assessment

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Urban Planning and Development Consulting: Fee-for-service professional consulting for urban planning, building regulation planning (Bauleitplanung), landscape planning, and environmental assessments. Revenue is generated through project-based engagements commissioned by public and private clients.
2. Landscape Architecture and Open Space Design: Design and planning services for public spaces, parks, and open space installations, billed as professional service engagements.
3. Renewable Energy Planning Services: Specialized planning services for solar and wind energy projects including site potential analyses, land-use planning, environmental reports, and wildlife surveys, commissioned by energy companies and municipalities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ELBBERG is a planning consultancy delivering professional services in urban planning (Stadtplanung) covering Bauleitplanung, land-use plans, and urban design frameworks; landscape planning (Landschaftsplanung) covering open space design and environmental impact assessments; and renewable energy planning (Erneuerbare Energien) covering solar and wind site analyses, environmental reports, and permitting. Engagements are delivered as bespoke project-based contracts for municipalities and private developers across northern Germany.

Product overview

ELBBERG is a planning consultancy firm (Partnerschaft mbB) with over 30 years of experience, operating as an integrated team of urban planners, landscape planners, architects, biologists, and geographers. Its core offering consists of three service lines delivered as professional planning engagements: (1) Stadtplanung (Urban/Municipal Planning) — covering development plans, land-use plans, urban design frameworks, and zoning regulations; (2) Landschaftsplanung (Landscape and Environmental Planning) — covering open space design, environmental impact assessments, habitat and species surveys, and water assessments; and (3) Erneuerbare Energien (Renewable Energy Planning) — covering solar and wind energy site analyses, environmental permitting, and landscape impact assessments. The firm also uses an internal sustainability planning methodology called ELBplaN (Labor Nachhaltigkeit) across all projects to ensure transparency of ecological, economic, and social criteria. The portfolio is structured as service-based professional planning work, not packaged software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ELBplaN: A planning tool for sustainable urban and landscape planning incorporating ecological, economic, and social criteria, based on eight UN Sustainability Development Goals

Products and services

• Stadtplanung (Urban Planning) Services Bauleitplanung (building regulation planning), land-use plans (Flächennutzungspläne), urban design frameworks (städtebauliche Rahmenplanung), zoning regulations, special statutes (Satzungen), urban renewal, and urban development concepts covering residential, commercial, mixed-use, industrial, and port areas. Delivered for municipalities and private developers across northern Germany.
• Landschaftsplanung (Landscape Planning) Services Landscape architecture and environmental planning services including open space concepts, public realm design, landscape maintenance plans, environmental impact assessments, species protection reports (artenschutzrechtliche Fachbeiträge), FFH compatibility studies, Water Framework Directive assessments, habitat mapping, and fauna surveys. Delivered for public authorities and private project developers.
• Erneuerbare Energien (Renewable Energy) Planning Services Integrated spatial planning services for renewable energy projects including photovoltaic potential analyses, wind energy site selection, environmental reports (Umweltberichte) for solar and wind developments, landscape impact assessments, fauna surveys, and Bebauungsplan/Flächennutzungsplan changes for solar and wind installations. Delivered for energy companies (RWE AG, Enerparc AG, Planet Energy GmbH) and municipalities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Hamburg U5 integrated transport concepts covering 8.5 km of new metro line with 15 stations
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ingenieurgemeinschaft IGU5 (WTM Engineers, Hamburg; Schüssler-Plan Ingenieurgesellschaft, Hamburg)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024ELBBERG is part of the IGU5 engineering consortium for planning services of the new U-Bahn line U5 in Hamburg, covering 8.5 km between Dammtor and Arenen Volkspark with 15 stations. ELBBERG contributes integrated transport concepts (Integrierte Verkehrskonzepte) and street space redesign for the mobility transition.
• TGP Landschaftsarchitekten, Trüper, Godensen und Partner, Lübeck; Ingenieurbüro Lenk + Rauchfuß GmbH, RellingencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024ELBBERG won 1st place in the Flensburg 'Quartier am Gleisbach' städtebaulich-freiraumplanerischer Realisierungswettbewerb. Cooperation with landscape architects and civil engineering firm for the approx. 12.8 ha residential development (~250 units).
• Polar architectes, Lausanne; Arbos (landscape architecture)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024On the Wedel Möller Areal project, Polar architectes (Lausanne) serves as urban design representative of the property owner, while ELBBERG provides urban planning consulting and regulatory planning services. Arbos is engaged for open space planning.
• Bruun und Möllers Landschaften Hamburg; ARGUS Stadt und Verkehr, HamburgminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Cooperation on the städtebauliche Rahmenplanung (urban framework planning) for Bremen Tabakquartier – Am Gasometer (approx. 17 ha, ~1,650 units) within the masterplan area Vorderes Woltmershausen.
• TGP Landschaftsarchitekten, Trüper, Godensen und Partner, Lübeck; TMH Architekten, Többen und Mueller-Haagen, LübeckminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Cooperation on the urban design competition and subsequent framework planning for Neustadt in Holstein Hafenwestseite (approx. 18 ha mixed-use harbor development).
• gruppe F, BerlincoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014ELBBERG collaborated with gruppe F (Berlin) on the 'Kleine Wildnis Osdorf' project for the city green department of Bezirksamt Altona. The partnership developed the usage concept and open space design for the 3 ha wildflower and natural succession area.
• ARGUS Stadt und Verkehr, HamburgminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAppears as a recurring cooperation partner on multiple projects including Bremen Tabakquartier framework plan, Hamburg U5 transport concepts, and Buxtehude Orchideenquartier.
• Bruun und Möllers Landschaften, HamburgminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecurring landscape architecture partner on multiple projects including Lüneburg Hanseviertel, Rostock Gehlsdorf, and Brunsbüttel LNG Terminal.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• WES LandschaftsArchitektur: Hamburg-based landscape architecture practice operating in northern Germany across urban open-space, environmental, and masterplanning projects. Directly comparable to ELBBERG in geography, scale, and integrated landscape/environmental planning offering, and the most natural local peer given overlapping client base in Hamburg and surrounding states.
• Rehwaldt Landschaftsarchitekten: Dresden/Leipzig-based landscape architecture firm working on urban open-space, environmental impact assessments, and Bauleitplanung support across eastern and central Germany. Comparable to ELBBERG in its integrated landscape + environmental + planning service mix and in serving municipal and private developer clients.
• Hosoya Schaefer Architects: Zürich-based urban planning and architecture practice active across the DACH region on masterplanning, mobility, and mixed-use urban development. Closely comparable to ELBBERG in focus on integrated urban/landscape/mobility planning and in bidding European urban planning competitions.
• faktorgruen Landschaftsarchitekten: Freiburg-based landscape architecture firm with offices across southern Germany, providing open-space design, environmental assessments, and Bauleitplanung support. Comparable to ELBBERG in its interdisciplinary landscape + environmental service mix and municipal client base, although operating primarily in southern rather than northern Germany.
• ASTOC Architects and Planners: Cologne-based architecture and urban planning practice focused on urban development, Bauleitplanung and large-scale masterplans. Comparable to ELBBERG in core stadtplanung and Bauleitplanung services, but with a larger footprint across western German states and broader international portfolio.
• Gruppe F: Berlin-based urban planning and landscape architecture practice. Direct comparable to ELBBERG given their existing project collaboration (Kleine Wildnis Osdorf) and similar mix of urban and landscape planning services for public sector clients across Germany.
• Pesch Partner Architekten / Stadtplaner: Stuttgart-based urban planning and architecture office with strong Bauleitplanung, urban design, and competition portfolio. Comparable to ELBBERG in scale and in competing for municipal urban planning competitions, though concentrated in Baden-Württemberg rather than northern Germany.
• bgmr Landschaftsarchitekten: Berlin-based landscape architecture practice active on open-space design, environmental assessments, and Bauleitplanung support across Germany. Comparable to ELBBERG in the integrated landscape + environmental + planning service offering and in serving large municipal clients, although headquartered in Berlin rather than Hamburg.

Broad incumbents

• AS&P Albert Speer & Partner: Frankfurt-headquartered urban planning, architecture and consulting practice with a national and international footprint. Comparable to ELBBERG in urban/stadtplanung and Bauleitplanung services, but materially larger and broader in scope, frequently acting as lead planner on DACH mega-projects where ELBBERG would be a subconsultant.
• HPP Architekten: Düsseldorf-headquartered architecture practice with broad urban planning and Bauleitplanung capabilities. Overlaps with ELBBERG on the architecture/urban planning side, but operates as a much larger generalist with national and international project reach rather than a regional planning specialist.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ELBBERG