Can digitising the curbside make logistics loading and unloading more efficient?

Third episode of the MED COLOURS’ social column dedicated to the topic of resilient and sustainable urban logistics. Once a month, via our social channels, we suggest articles, insights and studies of particular interest to the topics related to the project, with the aim of increasing knowledge related to the topics, and stimulating debate and knowledge exchange, which are essential ingredients for the achievement of our project goals.

This month’s article focuses on how digitising the curbside can make logistics loading and unloading more efficient.

Logistics is vital for a thriving City Economy. However, the management of urban logistics must urgently evolve as congestion, pollution and increasing pressure on Urban Spaces reach critical levels.One of the issues to be managed is certainly the space required for loading and unloading at the curbside, which often leads to chaotic and unsafe situations. Cities must manage scarce public space in a sustainable and efficient manner. For logistics, this requires a shift from the ‘first come, first served’ approach to a system of booked and guaranteed spaces and ‘pay-per-use’ models.

The solution: in 2023, Coding the Curbs (an EIT Urban Mobility project 2023) implemented 3 Smart Zones together with the cities of Bucharest (Romania), Groningen (Netherlands), and Riga (Latvia), marking the arrival of Europe’s first-ever bookable and multifunctional loading and unloading bays. Through a custom-built booking application, logistics companies can now reserve curbside space in advance. This system ensures that goods are loaded and unloaded safely, without delays or unnecessary driving, reducing the risks posed by illegal parking and enhancing the sustainability of the Logistics Chain.

Eager to discover all the lessons learnt and deepen this pioneering project? Visit https://marketplace.eiturbanmobility.eu/best-practices/creating-space-in-bucharest-groningen-and-riga-through-smart-zones

MED COLOURS project involves 6 cities (Livorno, Cesena, Thessaloniki, Koper, Lisbon, and Lyon) in the implementation of 5 Pilots Actions and 6 Sustainable Urban Logistics Plans with the objective of upscaling towards a new generation of logistics and urban planning that allows the transition towards decarbonised and smart cities.