Building a better data basis for municipal logistics

Cities and municipalities are confronted with a wide range of logistics activities every day. Parcels are delivered, shops and restaurants are supplied, construction sites receive materials, waste and recyclables are collected, healthcare facilities are supplied, and numerous other goods and services are transported.

Despite their importance for the functioning of cities and municipalities, comparatively little is often known about these transport activities. While extensive data and established survey methods are available for passenger transport, significant information gaps remain when it comes to freight and commercial transport.

This makes targeted planning more difficult. Without sufficient knowledge of actual logistics activities, traffic impacts, spatial and temporal hotspots, and conflicts over the use of public space can only be assessed to a limited extent. There is also a risk of over- or underestimating individual types of logistics activity and developing measures on an insufficient data basis.

The “Logistics in Figures” project addresses this gap.

Logistics is more than parcel delivery

An important foundation of the project was a broad understanding of municipal logistics. Local freight and commercial transport is highly diverse and extends far beyond courier, express and parcel services.

The project considered, among others, courier, express and parcel services, retail logistics, construction logistics, waste and recycling logistics, healthcare logistics, event logistics, energy and supply logistics, as well as other commercial and municipal logistics activities.

These types of logistics differ considerably in terms of vehicles, timing, spatial requirements and their impacts on local transport systems. One of the project's key tasks was therefore to systematically structure this diversity and make it accessible for municipal planning.

What data do municipalities need?

Not every municipality needs the same data, and not every question requires a comprehensive transport survey.

The approach developed in the project therefore starts with the specific municipal question or challenge: What problem needs to be addressed, or what development needs to be better understood? Is the focus on delivery traffic in a town centre, conflicts around loading zones, construction traffic, access to businesses, or the impacts of logistics activities on climate, road safety and the quality of public space?

Based on these questions, municipalities can determine what information is actually needed, what data is already available, and which data gaps need to be addressed.

“Logistics in Figures” therefore deliberately follows a practice-oriented approach. The objective is not to collect as much data as possible, but to make the information available that municipalities actually need for specific planning and decision-making processes.

From existing data to targeted surveys

A key focus of the project was how municipalities can gain access to suitable logistics data.

Relevant information is not limited to municipal datasets. A considerable amount of logistics data is held by companies and other private stakeholders, distributed across different organisations, or only available to a limited extent due to commercial and competitive interests.

The guide therefore presents different approaches to obtaining data and combines existing municipal and public data sources with dedicated surveys, interviews, observations and traffic counts, as well as external and digitally generated data sources.

Depending on the specific question, suitable methods may include company and driver surveys, vehicle observations, GPS data, traffic counts, interviews, existing transport and administrative datasets, or model-based estimates.

The guide describes the potential applications, requirements and limitations of these methods and supports municipalities in selecting an appropriate combination for their specific needs.

From data to action

Logistics data is not an end in itself. Its value lies in supporting municipal planning and decision-making.

A better data basis can help municipalities identify logistics hotspots, plan loading and delivery zones, safeguard space for logistics activities, improve the organisation of construction and waste collection traffic, and assess the impacts of planned measures.

The project therefore links the collection and use of logistics data with broader municipal objectives: ensuring efficient supply and services, reducing emissions and conflicts over public space, improving road safety, and enhancing the quality of urban and public spaces.

A guide for municipal practice

The central outcome of the project is the guide “Logistics in Figures – A Guide for Municipalities on Defining, Collecting and Using Local Logistics Data”.

It takes municipalities step by step from the fundamentals of municipal logistics and different types of logistics activities through to the identification of relevant data and the selection of suitable data collection methods.

The guide is based on a simple principle: Municipal logistics planning does not require as much data as possible – it requires the right data for the question at hand.

The guide therefore provides a methodological foundation that enables cities and municipalities to better understand their logistics activities, systematically address knowledge gaps and base planning decisions on more robust evidence.

The practical application of this approach was subsequently tested with Austrian pilot municipalities in the follow-up project “Logistics Data in Municipalities”.

Further information and download

The guide “Logistics in Figures – A Guide for Municipalities on Defining, Collecting and Using Local Logistics Data” is available on the website of the Federal Ministry for Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure (BMIMI).