Königs Wusterhausen (German federal state of Brandenburg), December 16, 2025. There is still a high shortage of payable living space in the metropolitan area of Berlin-Brandenburg. Also in Königs Wusterhausen, a city close to Berlin with 40,000 inhabitants, the situation is tense. With plans in place for the development of the Königspark area to the north of the city, the investment adviser Periskop Development is now joining forces with the city in order to develop a mixed-use quarter. On an area of around 56 hectares, a lively neighborhood is to be created that combines residential, working and local shopping facilities intelligently. Drees & Sommer SE’s teams of experts advise and support Berlin-based Periskop Development GmbH in planning and implementation of the project. The company has its headquarters in Stuttgart and specializes in construction, real estate and infrastructure consulting.
Königs Wusterhausen is in an economically strong region in what is known as the south-eastern boom corridor. The new district on the Königspark site will ensure a good long-term quality of life for new residents, and the additional infrastructure will also offer significant benefits. Petra Müller, head of development at Periskop Development comments: “In addition to around 2,500 apartments for all age and income groups, a nursery and childcare center, a school, shops, medical care facilities, a fire station, and almost 100,000 square meters of green and park areas are to created by the development.”
A development plan has been in place for the Königspark site since the 1990s, but it only provides for commercial space and has never been realized. Periskop Development now proposes a used-mix plan that satisfies the requirements of a growing modern urban area.
Transformation to a 15-minute city
At the center of the new plan is the 15-minute city idea: it should be possible for residents of the future district to cover all routes needed for their everyday lives in less than 15 minutes. “No matter whether people walk from their doorstep to the supermarket or from the nursery to the playground, everything should be within comfortable reach and quickly accessible,” explains Petra Müller. Well-thought-out local public transport links will facilitate the concept and provide a good connection to Berlin. In addition, mobility hubs will be integrated in the transport system and make it easy to change between different modes of transport.
A Better Climate and a Green Oasis
A further key feature of the pioneering development of the Königspark area will be the sustainable use of resources. The decentralized rainwater management system will be given particular attention in planning. Max Vogel, leading consultant and expert for neighborhood developments at Drees & Sommer, points out: “We have to collect rainwater where it falls. This will give us flexibility with regard to controlling the distribution of water in the district.” At the Königspark site, this can be done by creating surface infiltration trenches and retention areas. Green roofs, water-permeable surfaces and wetland meadows will also aid sustainable rainwater management by providing temporary flood zones. “Currently, we are at an early planning stage. The first consideration is how to integrate infiltration trenches under the future parking areas. Rainwater will be directed to these via feeder drains. At the same time it is planned to integrate the infiltration trenches into Königspark’s open spaces harmoniously as a design feature,“ the expert continues.
According to Max Vogel, the planned park areas offer further benefits: “We will be promoting biodiversity in these areas by creating habitats for insects, birds and small animals. They will also enhance the livability of the district and offer green spaces for recreation in the quarter.” The green areas will additionally act as natural air conditioners, as the expert explains: “They will cool the surroundings on hot summer days, filter particulate matter from the air, and improve the urban microclimate.”
Planning as Partners and Shaping Together
Drees & Sommer and Periskop Development are not only working together closely to create the Königspark in Königs Wusterhausen, but they have joined their skills to develop several major urban quarters across Germany, among which are sites in Duisburg[i] and in Lenningen[ii] in the district of Esslingen. Nicolas Sauerwein, senior project developer and project head of the Königspark development at Periskop Development comments: “Our long-standing and trustful collaboration shows how important professional project management is in the successful development of sites. A sustainable district development is only possible when all participants work together. And this collaboration not only involves the planning, architecture and construction partners, but also the local people. Our intention is to inform residents and decision-makers at an early stage and to let them participate right from the start of the project. In Königs Wusterhausen, we are in touch with them.” In this way, we have been able to integrate local particularities in our plans thus enhanced the acceptance of the planned neighborhood,” says Max Vogel.
In the coming weeks, the planning team will focus on merging the construction plans with those for open spaces, transport and technical infrastructure. It is hoped that the next stage in the development planning process will be reached by the end of June 2026, as Max Vogel explains.
For further information about the planned neighborhood development, please visit the projects website.
About Drees & Sommer SE
Uniting opposites to create a world we want to live in
Drees & Sommer is a partner-managed, global consulting company providing a single source of consultation and implementation services for the real estate, infrastructure and industrial markets. The company delivers sustainable, innovative, and economically viable solutions that meet each client’s unique needs. Founded in 1970 and long recognized as a pioneer in driving sustainability and digitalization, today Drees & Sommer employs 6,500 people at over 70 offices. The company’s interdisciplinary teams are involved in 6,872 projects worldwide, working to create a livable future and unite concepts which can at face value appear to be opposites: tradition and future, economy and ecology, analog and digital, efficiency and well-being. As ‘intrapreneurs’, the Drees & Sommer Partners are personally responsible for managing the company.
About Periskop Development
Periskop Development GmbH is a subsidiary of Periskop Partners AG. The international investment manager has its headquarters in Berlin. It specializes in the entire real estate added value chain and develops customized solutions for projects and investment fund partners, which are generally institutional investors. Periskop takes account of urban, landscape planning and sustainable aspects, and fosters social responsibility and a corporate culture based on environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) principles. Managing Directors of Periskop Development are Dr. Simon Kempf and Lars Meisinger.