SMART Curb Collaborative Zero Emissions Delivery & Urban Freight Logistics Study Tour

In October 2024, a group of USDOT SMART grant-funded member cities of the SMART Curb Collaborative, including the Cities of Minneapolis, Portland, San José, and Miami-Dade County, trekked to western Europe to learn from leading cities in zero emission logistics and urban mobility. Organized by the Open Mobility Foundation (OMF) and facilitated by Cityfi, the purpose of the SMART Curb Collaborative Zero Emission Delivery & Urban Freight Logistics European Study Tour was to:

➔ Deepen participants' understanding of sustainable mobility and urban freight policy environments, operations, and underlying data infrastructure in the European context and in select European cities;

➔ Gain policy and implementation insights, best-practices, and lessons learned that may be considered in U.S. cities; and

➔ Build a long-term collaboration and knowledge exchange between American and European cities in support of smart and lasting policies and business models for zero emission delivery.

Context

The study tour participants level set on the role of national and European Commission policy and heard city implementation stories related to mobility hubs & urban logistics hubs, urban consolidation centers, last-mile delivery vehicles and logistics, electrification and fleet transition, zero- and ultra-low emission zones, digital infrastructure (including curb digitalization, digital twins, data specifications, and technology experimentation), and more. The broader corporate, startup, and investment ecosystem were intentionally convened to discuss opportunities for public-private partnership, experimentation, and the investment outlook for ZED and associated innovations.

Method

The study tour examined policy constructs, projects and demonstrations, initiatives, and collaborations with the private sector in Paris and cities throughout Belgium and the Netherlands. The tour included participation from a dynamic group of European leaders in the zero emission delivery (ZED) space. The study tour had a basic “formula”: convene experts, observe implementation in action, and discuss how to get it done. Leading cities, organizations, and players in the delivery industry ecosystem were brought together to partake in a number of presentations, roundtable discussions, and site observations and tours.

Project Information

Client: Open Mobility Foundation (OMF)

Locations: Paris (France); Antwerp and Brussels (Belgium); and Amsterdam, Eindhoven, Nijmegen, and Utrecht (Netherlands)

Partners: Gemma Schepers