Wiesbaden’s Green City Master Plan of 2018 includes a set of measures for urban logistics. They are expected to reduce nitrogen dioxide emissions by nine percent by 2030. During the Covid-19 pandemic, e-commerce boomed and, in 2020, parcel shipments increased by 11 percent compared to 2019. More e-commerce also means more delivery traffic.

In March 2021, the city council adopted the urban logistics strategy, which encompasses three phases: phase 1 lasts until the end of 2021, phase 2 until 2025 and phase 3 to 2030. Phase 1 includes immediate action and the introduction of emission-free, low-contact delivery logistics during the Covid-19 crisis, including a tool for real-time communication between businesses and delivery service providers. Intelligent delivery zones were set up and an app-controlled access and booking system is planned. However, there are still legal restrictions to overcome, such as for reserving certain zones in the public space for particular user groups.

In addition, cargo bike infrastructure has been improved since 2019. A 100,000 euro project offers private individuals and businesses the opportunity to receive a refund of up to 25 percent or 1,000 euros on a cargo bike purchase.

Many stakeholders, including freight forwarders, couriers, policy-makers, universities and businesses, participated in several workshops to provide their input for the urban logistics strategy.

There are numerous leverage points to promote sustainable urban logistics, such as switching to cargo bikes, improving delivery zones and regulating delivery traffic. Municipalities must always consider legal restrictions, particularly on traffic surveillance, which may conflict with data protection laws. In addition, they need perseverance, making urban logistics more sustainable is a long and multi-step process.

Learn more about Wiesbaden’s approach to sustainable urban logistics in this video.