Urban Partners launches first-of-its-kind fund to accelerate urban regeneration

Urban Partners, a leading European investor, announced today the launch of the Urban Partners Regeneration Fund, together with Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners ('CIP') and Viessmann Generations Group (‘Viessmann’) as strategic partners. The investment vehicle is backed by anchor institutional partners PensionDanmark and SamPension.

Purpose-built for regenerating brownfields into vibrant, mixed-use neighbourhoods, the fund is well-positioned to address the growing structural pressures facing European cities due to urbanisation and demographic shifts. Urban Partners’ Regeneration Fund has now held its first closing with commitments from this distinct investor constellation, moving forward with an unlevered investment capacity of up to €650 million, combining primary equity and co-investment capital.

“As an urban investor, we have built a track record of expertise through two decades of investing in and around cities. The Urban Partners Regeneration Fund is a unique response to a defining moment for Europe. By aligning long-duration global capital with growing demand at the local level, we see a tremendous opportunity to apply our unique capabilities to create real, lasting value at scale,” said Jens Stender, Co-CEO of Urban Partners.

“This first close reflects strong conviction in a strategy built for scale and long-term execution. Regeneration projects are complex by nature, but with a purpose-built fund and a strong pipeline in key growth cities, we can deploy capital in a disciplined way and work alongside partners and municipalities to unlock value over time,” said Claus Mathisen, Co-CEO of Urban Partners.

Purpose-built for the new urban asset class

Urbanisation is expected to add 42 million people to European cities by 2050 while cities already struggle to meet growing demands for housing in attractive walkable, mixed-use neighbourhoods with ample public space and social infrastructure. This further intensifies demand for housing and resilient districts, creating an estimated €158 billion investment opportunity for large-scale urban regeneration strategies that repurpose brownfield sites like old railway and industrial areas into vibrant, multi-functional, mixed-income communities.

The Regeneration Fund is uniquely purpose-built for this emerging asset class. Designed to create the conditions for a holistic approach that maximises long-term value, economic competitiveness, energy consciousness and social impact, it bridges institutional capital with the needs of municipalities. The fund is structured for continued ownership and enables stewardship beyond a single market or fund cycle, with long-term business plans reflecting the nature of the projects. Targeting growth cities in the Nordics, Germany and the United Kingdom with a strong pipeline in Copenhagen, Hamburg, Munich, Stockholm, and London, the fund is explicitly designed to work with cities as it embeds public-private partnership at its core.

“We are excited to support Urban Partners Regeneration Fund with its pioneering approach for delivering large-scale, mixed-use urban regeneration across Europe’s growth cities. By combining Urban Partners’ deep urban regeneration expertise with CIP’s experience in developing large-scale, greenfield infrastructure projects, this partnership is well positioned to create long-term value for cities, communities, and investors," says Jakob Baruël Poulsen, Managing Partner at CIP.

Unique expertise combining in urban transformation and real estate investing

The Regeneration Fund is co-headed by Jesse Shapins and Peter Epping. Shapins brings 25 years of experience in urban entrepreneurship and placemaking from Sidewalk Labs and Urban Partners, including recent industry-shaping publications The Copenhagen Way and Unlocking Sustainable Urban Regeneration with partners C40 Cities, BloxHub, Ramboll, and Arup. Epping steps in as Fund Manager and is a seasoned real estate investor and ESG leader from Hines where he managed funds with €7bn AUM, investing across European countries, sectors and risk-profiles, including mixed-use urban development projects. The fund’s senior team also includes leading industry figures Nick Searl, a regeneration specialist with 35+ years’ experience, including a key role in King’s Cross as Managing Partner of Argent, and Paul Clark, former CIO of The Crown Estate and Head of European Real Assets at AustralianSuper, is part of the fund’s Investment Committee.

“The structural housing shortage is one of the major societal challenges of our time. Drawing on our many years of experience in urban development in Denmark, we see a compelling opportunity to deliver attractive returns for our members’ pension savings – while at the same time helping to tackle a critical challenge facing European growth cities,” says Peter Stensgaard Mørch, CEO of PensionDanmark.

“Cities are the pulse of our civilization. Mastering the transformation of our urban environments is essential to drive a sustainable and inclusive future – in line with our purpose of co-creating living spheres for generations to come. The co-creation approach of the Regeneration Fund is exactly what is needed to successfully revitalize brownfields into blueprints for resilient urban life, delivering tangible benefits for both people and the planet,” says Max Viessmann, CEO of Viessmann Generations Group.

Backed by a unique constellation of partners, the fund draws on Urban Partners’ proven regeneration track record, particularly in Copenhagen where landmark projects such as Nordhavn, Tingbjerg and the Railway District demonstrate how public-private partnerships and a local, holistic approach can deliver both societal impact and strong financial returns. It is complemented by long-term infrastructure expertise from the world’s largest dedicated greenfield renewable energy fund manager CIP, anchor commitments from progressive institutional capital leaders PensionDanmark and SamPension, and generational industrial capital and sustainability expertise from Germany’s pioneering Viessmann.

Notice: Urban Partners Management UK Limited is an appointed representative of Langham Hall Fund Management LLP, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Both the Urban Partners Regeneration Fund and the associated marketing materials are directed solely at institutional and professional investors.


For further details, contact:
Anna Hillinge, Director, Corporate Affairs, Urban Partners
+4521136243 /