plan zwei Stadtentwicklung | Stadtforschung | Kommunikation

What plan zwei Stadtentwicklung | Stadtforschung | Kommunikation does

plan zwei Stadtentwicklung | Stadtforschung | Kommunikation is a Hannover-based urban development, urban research, and communication consultancy serving the German public sector. Founded in 2005 by Dr. Klaus Habermann-Nieße and Brigitte Nieße, the firm has been owned since 2019 by three partners — Dr. Ulrich Berding, Kirsten Klehn, and Lisa Nieße — while the original founders remain active in advisory roles. The firm operates as a GbR (partnership under civil law) with a team of approximately 13–15 employees plus interns spanning urban planning, landscape architecture, architecture, and open-space planning disciplines.

The firm's core offering is organized around three interconnected service areas: Stadtentwicklung (urban development consulting, including integrated urban development plans, preparatory investigations, framework plans, and neighborhood/urban renewal management); Stadtforschung (applied urban research on housing, public space, urban green, climate-adaptive mobility, and energetic urban renewal); and Kommunikation (citizen participation strategies, moderation, publications, and conference organization). Delivery is conducted through analog, hybrid, and online participation formats, with notable engagements including the Klimaanpassungskonzept for Berlin Tempelhof-Schöneberg, Maschpark redesign for Hannover, ISEK Oldenburg 2035, Sanierungsmanagement Göttingen, and the EU LIFE impaQt climate adaptation project spanning Berlin and Melk (Austria).

Revenue is generated exclusively through fee-for-service contracts with public sector clients, acquired via competitive public tenders, direct appointments, and long-term municipal management mandates. The firm has no disclosed consumer-facing channels, no marketplace presence, and no funding rounds or external investment — it operates as a self-funded, partner-owned professional services practice with ~20 years of operating history, recognized through polis-award and Stadt Kassel competition wins in 2025.

Name

plan zwei Stadtentwicklung | Stadtforschung | Kommunikation

Legal name

plan zwei Stadtentwicklung, Stadtforschung, Kommunikation – Dr. Ulrich Berding, Kirsten Klehn, Lisa Nieße GbR

Website

https://plan-zwei.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

plan zwei is a Hannover-based GbR consultancy (founded 2005, ~15 staff) providing integrated urban development planning, applied urban research, and citizen participation services exclusively to German municipalities, federal research institutes, and public sector clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Urban Development Consulting

NAICS

Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (92512), Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (925120), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Urban & Regional Planning (Land Use, Zoning, Master Planning) (BPAIANAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Regional & Land Use Planning (BPAHAKAE), State/Provincial Housing, Urban/Regional Planning & Community Development (BPAIABAM), Sustainable Cities, Urban Development & Green Infrastructure (BPADALAL)

Keywords

• Urban development consulting
• Urban planning services
• Citizen participation
• Urban research
• Public sector consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Hannover

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Urban Development Consulting: The firm generates revenue through fee-for-service contracts with public sector clients, including integrated urban development plans, neighborhood management mandates, preparatory investigations, and citizen participation processes. These are typically project-based, competitive tenders or direct appointments from municipal, state, and federal government bodies.
2. Research Contracts and Grants: plan zwei conducts applied research on behalf of public clients (BBSR, BMI, BMBF, foundations, associations) on topics such as housing construction, public spaces, urban green, climate-resilient mobility, and energy-efficient urban renewal. Funded by government research programs and grants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

plan zwei is an interdisciplinary consultancy delivering integrated urban development planning, applied urban research, and strategic communication services to German public sector clients. The firm produces integrated urban development concepts (ISEK), preparatory investigations, formal land-use plans (Bauleitplan), framework plans, neighborhood and urban renewal management, climate adaptation concepts (KLAK), and citizen participation processes in analog, hybrid, and online formats, supported by empirical research and conference-grade knowledge transfer.

Product overview

plan zwei is a consultancy firm offering three interconnected core service areas: Stadtentwicklung (Urban Development), Stadtforschung (Urban Research), and Kommunikation (Communication). These services are delivered through a project-based portfolio that includes integrated urban development plans, städtebauliche studies, preparatory investigations, integrated framework planning, neighborhood management, action research, expert opinions, model projects, case studies, citizen participation strategies, publication development, and conference organization. The three service strands are interdependent — research findings feed into urban development concepts, and communication strategies and participation formats are integral to both research and development projects. The portfolio projects span from integrated urban development concepts (ISEK) to climate adaptation concepts (KLAK), EU-funded LIFE projects (impaQt), and BBSR-funded research (Green Urban Labs II).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Stadtentwicklung (Urban Development Services) Integrated urban development planning including städtebauliche studies, preparatory investigations, integrated framework planning, formal Bauleitplan, and accompanying implementation through neighborhood management for German municipalities and districts.
• Stadtforschung (Urban Research Services) Applied urban research using action research, expert opinions, model projects, and case studies on topics such as housing construction, public spaces, urban green, inner-city development, climate-adaptive mobility, and energetic urban renovation for federal, state, and municipal clients.
• Kommunikation (Communication Services) Participation strategies and facilitation for citizen engagement, moderation of planning processes, publications and knowledge transfer, conference organization, and professional networking facilitation, delivered in analog, hybrid, and online formats.
• Quartiersmanagement (Neighborhood Management) Multi-year contracted management of urban renewal areas, including cross-departmental cooperation facilitation, neighborhood-level coordination, and social cohesion programs for German municipalities (e.g., Nördliche Innenstadt Göttingen).
• Sanierungsmanagement (Urban Renewal Management) Management and accompaniment of urban renewal processes in designated subsidy areas, including stakeholder coordination and implementation support for municipal clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• The Maschpark project in Hannover will reduce sealed surfaces by ~50% and create approximately 8,000 m² of new green space.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bezirksamt Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, BerlincoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 23 February 2026Bezirksamt Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf collaborates with plan zwei on the LIFE impaQt project for climate adaptation on the Mierendorffinsel, including first 'Kiezinseln' conversion and redesign of Ilsburger Straße.
• nsp (Landschaftsarchitekturbüro)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2026plan zwei collaborated with nsp (landscape architecture firm) on the Maschpark citizen participation project in Hannover, where plan zwei conducted the online consultation on behalf of the City's Department of Environment and Urban Green.
• bgmr Landschaftsarchitekten GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026For the Bundeskongress 'Grün in der Stadt', plan zwei worked with Bundesinstitut für Bau-, Stadt- und Raumforschung, Urbanizers, and bgmr Landschaftsarchitekten GmbH to develop and present the 'Agenda Stadt grün-blau' action programme.
• vhw (Bundesverband für Wohnen und Stadtentwicklung)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2025The vhw (Bundesverband für Wohnen und Stadtentwicklung) commissioned plan zwei for research on integrated administrative action (Integriertes Verwaltungshandeln) including a nationwide online survey and qualitative interviews in four case study cities (Dresden, Rostock, Leverkusen, Oldenburg).
• Planungsgruppe StadtbürominorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2025plan zwei partnered with Planungsgruppe Stadtbüro for the ISEK Lemgo citizen participation workshop and student workshop on inner-city development.
• Green4CitiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024plan zwei serves as a project partner in the EU LIFE project 'impaQt — Sustainable Quarter Development from Berlin to Melk', working with Green4Cities, superwien, komobile, ENU, and BOKU Wien on climate adaptation strategies for the Mierendorffinsel in Berlin and the city of Melk (Austria).
• Institut für Geographische Wissenschaften, Freie Universität BerlincoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018The BMBF-funded KoopLab project (2018–2021) involved a consortium led by the Institute for Geographical Sciences at Freie Universität Berlin, with plan zwei responsible for the Hannover-Sahlkamp real-world laboratory. International StadtteilGärten e.V. was the key local cooperation partner.
• Internationale StadtteilGärten e.V.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018In the KoopLab project, International StadtteilGärten e.V. was the key in-district cooperation partner in the Hannover-Sahlkamp real laboratory.
• Hunger & Koch, Designagentur HannoverminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2014For the citizens' participation process in Wasserstadt Limmer (Hannover), plan zwei worked with Hunger & Koch, a design agency in Hannover, on the moderation and communication strategy.
• UrbanizerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011For the ENSA research project (Energetische Stadtsanierung), plan zwei partnered with Urbanizers and the Klimaschutz- und Energieeffizienzagentur (KEEA) to analyze experiences from the KfW programme 432 on integrated energetic neighbourhood concepts.
• Geo-NetcoreStrategic or Co-development Partnerplan zwei collaborated with Geo-Net (Hamburg) and Ingenieurgesellschaft Prof. Dr. Sieker to develop the Klimaanpassungskonzept (KLAK) for the Berlin district of Tempelhof-Schöneberg, covering heat, heavy rain, and climate-resilient urban spaces.
• Ingenieurgesellschaft Prof. Dr. SiekercoreStrategic or Co-development Partnerplan zwei collaborated with Geo-Net and Ingenieurgesellschaft Prof. Dr. Sieker on the KLAK Berlin project — climate adaptation consulting.
• Planungsgemeinschaft Landschaft + Freiraum (PLF), KasselcoreStrategic or Co-development Partnerplan zwei and PLF collaborated on the 'Urbaner Waldgarten am Helleböhnweg' project in Kassel, with plan zwei organizing and conducting citizen participation while PLF handled landscape design.
• proloco, BremencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrom 2021 to 2024, plan zwei worked with proloco (Bremen) to research green and open space in six German model cities (Aachen, Dresden, Fellbach, Ingolstadt, Karlsruhe, Saarbrücken) under the ExWoSt research programme commissioned by BBSR.
• superwiencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the EU LIFE impaQt consortium (see Green4Cities entry for full context).
• komobilecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the EU LIFE impaQt consortium (see Green4Cities entry for full context). komobile brings mobility expertise to the climate adaptation and sustainable quarter development project.
• ENUcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the EU LIFE impaQt consortium (see Green4Cities entry for full context). ENU and plan zwei collaborate on the Berlin Mierendorffinsel demonstration area.
• BOKU WiencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the EU LIFE impaQt consortium. BOKU Wien (University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna) provides academic research support and effect measurement for the project.
• Klimaschutz- und Energieeffizienzagentur (KEEA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the ENSA research project (see Urbanizers entry for context).

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• komobile: Austria-based mobility and transport planning consultancy. Comparable via participation in EU LIFE impaQt, where they bring climate-adaptive mobility expertise to the consortium alongside plan zwei.
• Ingenieurgesellschaft Prof. Dr. Sieker: German engineering firm focused on climate-adaptive water management and resilient urban infrastructure. Emerging/adjacent peer — co-developed the KLAK Berlin Tempelhof-Schöneberg with plan zwei, addressing overlapping climate adaptation scope from an engineering perspective.

Direct peers

• Planungsgemeinschaft Landschaft + Freiraum (PLF), Kassel: Kassel-based landscape architecture and open space planning practice. Direct peer — co-developed the polis-award-winning 'Urbaner Waldgarten am Helleböhnweg' project with plan zwei, operating in the same climate-adaptive open-space segment.
• proloco: Bremen-based consultancy focused on urban green, public space and integrated neighbourhood development. Direct peer — partnered with plan zwei on the BBSR ExWoSt model cities research programme (2021–2024).
• Planungsgruppe Stadtbüro: German urban planning consultancy delivering integrated urban development concepts (ISEK) and citizen participation. Direct peer — partnered with plan zwei on the Lemgo ISEK citizen participation workshops.
• Geo-Net: Hamburg-based consultancy specialising in climate-impact analysis, urban climate and GIS-based planning. Direct peer — co-developed the Klimaanpassungskonzept (KLAK) for Berlin Tempelhof-Schöneberg with plan zwei.
• bgmr Landschaftsarchitekten GmbH: Berlin landscape architecture and urban planning office working on open space, urban green and integrated design competitions. Direct peer — co-organised the Bundeskongress 'Grün in der Stadt' and operates in the same urban green/landscape planning segment.
• Urbanizers: Berlin-based urban research and development consultancy active in participatory planning, energetic urban renewal and integrated neighbourhood concepts. Direct peer — has co-developed research (ENSA/KfW 432) and event programming (Bundeskongress 'Grün in der Stadt') with plan zwei.

Regional players

• superwien: Vienna-based urban design and research studio working on sustainable quarter development and participatory planning. Regional peer — co-develops EU LIFE impaQt with plan zwei, comparable in approach but primarily Austrian.

Others

• vhw (Bundesverband für Wohnen und Stadtentwicklung): German federal association for housing and urban development that commissions applied research and training to municipalities. Adjacent — operates in the same urban development knowledge ecosystem, regularly commissions plan zwei for research (e.g., Integriertes Verwaltungshandeln) and event programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/plan-zwei
• Instagraminstagram.com/plan.zwei

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about plan zwei Stadtentwicklung | Stadtforschung | Kommunikation