Creating space in Bucharest, Groningen and Riga through Smart Zones
Curbside unloading causing chaotic traffic situations
The Challenge
Urban logistics management urgently needs to evolve as congestion, pollution, and increasing pressure on inner-city spaces reach critical levels. While logistics are vital to a flourishing city economy, the space required for loading and unloading at the curbside often comes at the expense of movement, social interaction, and recreation.
The curbside is inherently a flexible space where movement and stillness intersect, but it increasingly leads to chaotic and unsafe situations. Cities must therefore manage scarce public space in a sustainable and efficient manner. For logistics, this requires a shift from the 'first come, first served' approach and chaotic environments to a system of booked, guaranteed spaces and 'pay-per-use' models.
This project addresses the challenge: can digitising the curbside make logistics loading and unloading more efficient, thereby allowing the curbside's flexible nature to function in a more controlled and orderly manner?
The Solution
In a pioneering move, Smart Zones have been introduced in three partner cities, 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. With seamless integration into enforcement systems, these Smart Zones are actively monitored to ensure compliance, preventing long-term parking in loading bays and other improper uses of public space.
Each Smart Zone is equipped with sensors that detect the presence of vehicles, and when combined with booking data, they offer cities valuable insights into the usage of these critical areas. This data encompasses the type and number of users, the number of bookings, occupancy rates, usage duration, traffic patterns, and violations. These insights contribute to the creation of a detailed digital twin of the logistics activities on each street, enabling cities to manage urban space more efficiently. During periods of low demand, these Smart Zones can be repurposed for other types of bookings, making the space truly multifunctional. For instance, during peak logistics hours in the morning, the Smart Zones function as loading and unloading bays, while in the evening, they are available for reservation.
Driver making a Smart Zone booking