Logistics Data in Municipalities
1. September 2026
How can municipalities better understand their logistics and design them in a targeted manner based on data? The IFZ, in collaboration with Austrian municipalities and the University of Applied Sciences St. Pölten (USTP), has tested the “Logistics in Numbers” guide—developed in 2025—in practice. The new publication, “Logistics Data in Municipalities,” documents these experiences and outlines concrete approaches to data-driven municipal logistics planning.
Delivery traffic, construction sites, waste disposal, commercial traffic, and the like have a significant impact on traffic in cities and municipalities. However, while extensive data is often available for passenger traffic, significantly less is known about local logistics activities. Yet such information is a crucial foundation for identifying traffic congestion, reducing conflicts of use, and planning targeted measures for climate protection, traffic safety, and quality of life.
With the guide “Logistics in Numbers,” published in 2025, the IFZ developed a tool on behalf of the BMIMI to help municipalities systematically map their logistics activities. The focus is on a practical approach: What data is already available? What additional information is actually needed? And what methods can be used to close existing data gaps with reasonable effort?
Field Test in Amstetten and Waidhofen an der Ybbs
In the follow-up project “Logistics Data in Municipalities,” this approach was put into practice in collaboration with the cities of Amstetten and Waidhofen an der Ybbs. The project involved reviewing existing municipal data sources, examining local logistics structures and relevant stakeholders, and discussing specific questions and potential data collection methods.
A key finding: Municipalities by no means have to start from scratch when it comes to logistics data. Numerous pieces of information are already available across various administrative areas that can also be used to address logistics issues—such as traffic and infrastructure data, land-use information, construction site data, waste management data, or existing traffic counts. However, this data has often been viewed in isolation and not specifically consolidated from the perspective of freight and commercial transportation.
At the same time, the pilot applications demonstrate that a significantly better picture of local logistics activity can be obtained with a manageable amount of effort. It is crucial not to view data collection as an end in itself, but rather to start with specific municipal issues.
From Delivery Zones to Construction Site and Waste Disposal Traffic
The potential applications extend far beyond the traditional view of delivery traffic. Logistics data can, for example, help identify areas of high traffic volume and peak times, plan delivery and loading zones based on demand, better organize construction site traffic, or analyze waste disposal traffic.
In this way, logistics data can also contribute to broader municipal goals—from climate protection and traffic safety to improving the quality of life in public spaces.
The pilot municipalities were supported through exchanges with other so-called “follower cities.” This allowed for the sharing of experiences, the consideration of different municipal conditions, and the identification of additional applications for the guide.
Data as the Foundation for Sustainable Municipal Logistics
These findings are also gaining significance in light of the Austrian Logistics Location Strategy published in 2026. This strategy assigns a central role to digitalization and the improved use of data for planning and decision-making.
“Logistics Data in Municipalities” now provides practical guidance that offers municipalities an accessible starting point: making existing data visible, defining specific questions, identifying data gaps, and collecting additional information precisely where it is actually needed for decision-making.
In this way, a robust data foundation can be built step by step, enabling municipalities not only to better understand freight and commercial traffic but also to shape it in an active, sustainable, and forward-looking manner.
Further information and download:
The publication “Logistics Data in Municipalities—A Documentation of Practical Experiences and Applications of the ‘Logistics in Numbers’ Guide in Municipalities” is available on the website of the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Mobility, and Infrastructure (BMIMI).