by Walther Ploos van Amstel
Urban freight is the silent engine of city life. From parcels and groceries to construction materials, logistics keeps urban economies moving. Yet this essential flow of goods also contributes heavily to congestion, noise, air pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions. With urban populations and e-commerce both rising sharply, sustainable solutions for city logistics are more urgent …
On 17 September 2025, ALICE, POLIS, and the European Parking Association (EPA) presented a Joint Statement during the EPA Conference in Brussels. It marks a new milestone in their long-standing collaboration on urban freight, curbside management, and sustainable mobility. Building on a shared journey The three organisations have worked together for years through joint workshops, …
Cities across Europe are under pressure to deliver cleaner, safer, and more efficient urban logistics. With zero-emission zones expanding, e-commerce booming, and construction traffic reshaping streets, the need for reliable data on freight flows has never been greater. The recent recommendations of the Expert Group on Urban Mobility (EGUM) highlight how data sharing can unlock …
Online shopping keeps growing, but so do problems with parcel deliveries. Missed drop-offs, misplaced packages, and confusion over where items end up are fueling frustration among customers. In Germany, the Federation of German Consumer Organizations (vzbv) has taken Deutsche Post to court, arguing that its delivery rules are too vague. At the heart of the …
Supply chains are under increasing pressure. Globalization, shifting market demands, and sustainability requirements have made networks more complex, while traditional systems struggle with fragmented data and limited analytical tools. To remain competitive, organizations need new approaches that can capture complexity, monitor operations in real time, and support better decision-making. One of the most promising solutions …
City logistics is under pressure. Zero-emission zones are rolling out, streets are busier than ever, and public space is scarce. At the same time, new technologies and business models are emerging—from e-cargo bikes and autonomous robots to digital curb management platforms and microhubs. The challenge is clear: how do we create room to experiment, without …
Federated learning (FL) and collaborative AI (CAI) offer new ways to make city logistics more efficient, sustainable, and resilient while protecting sensitive data. In traditional logistics, sharing operational data between companies or with cities is often difficult due to competition and privacy concerns. FL solves this by allowing each company to train AI models locally …
Delivering goods safely and cleanly – and collecting waste efficiently – in our city centers is a significant challenge. This is especially true since the introduction of zero-emission zones on January 1, 2025, while urban populations continue to grow. The Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) predicts that by 2035, the four largest cities will experience …
In 2023, the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management launched an action plan to make temperature-controlled transport more sustainable. A key knowledge gap was the contribution of transport refrigeration units (TRUs) to overall emissions. To close this gap, TNO conducted an extensive measurement program on TRU emissions in real-world operations. Monitoring TRUs in practice …
How can logistics providers help shape the transition towards circular supply chains (CSCs)? To find out, a recent study focused on a single logistics service provider (LSP) through a detailed case study. By focusing on the provider’s own perspective, the research sheds light on both the hurdles and the opportunities that come with making supply …