DISCO - Transforming urban logistics

Background

Congestions costs the European economy €100 billion per year and air pollution affects people’s health to the extent as a silent killer. Priorities of the EU Green Deal and the EU Mission goal are to reduce climate emissions by 55 % by 2030 and for cities to become climate-neutral by 2050. 

This goal cannot be achieved only by having targets that reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles. It must also be addressed by working with new solutions like transforming space, developing new services and accessibility to new standards and adapted technologies. 

Purpose  

The DISCO project aims at fast-tracking upscaling to a new generation of urban logistics and smart urban planning. This will enable transition to decarbonized and digital cities by delivering innovative frameworks and tools. The ambition is to create a dynamic and optimal space re-allocation which integrates urban freight with an efficient operated network-of-networks. This will include underused land and assets, both fixed and mobile infrastructure, based on demands.   

Operated network-of-networks refers to a complex system where multiple individual logistics networks are interconnected and are managed together to function as a cohesive unit. It enables seamless communication and data transfer by coordinating and administering the different networks, enhancing scalability, reliability, efficiency, and flexibility. It also requires complex security and interoperability management.  

Fixed infrastructure refers to the physical and technological systems used for communication and data transfer. It could be permanent structures like fiber-optic cables and copper wires for stable, high capacity connections. Mobile infrastructure involves wireless systems like mobile networks and satellites for communication on the move.  

Method  

DISCO partners and stakeholders will co-design, deploy, demonstrate, evaluate, and replicate innovative, inclusive, connected and data-driven urban logistics and planning solutions.   

Project setup  

The DISCO project involves 48 partners from 12 countries throughout Europe. They represent cities, logistics service providers, retailers, real estate/public and private infrastructure owners, transport operators, research and technical communities and civil society.   

The project is divided into seven work packages. The SCOPE of CLOSER at Lindholmen Science Park, is to evaluate the outcome of eight (4+4) cities called Living Labs. 

The first four cities are called the Starring Living Labs, and these are:   

• Copenhagen, Ghent, Helsinki, Thessaloniki   

The following cities called the Twinning Living Labs are:   

• Barcelona, Padua, Valencia, Zaragoza 

The Evaluation   

The results of the living labs will be evaluated with respect to 5 so called impact domains. The evaluation will be supported by a Dashboard tool. The Dashboard will be developed in Excel as an interactive tool and will provide a means to visualize results.  

The impact domains which will be evaluated are:   

• Shared solutions   
• Connected logistics   
• Smart logistics 
• Urban network management   
• Agile storage and last-mile distribution 

The evaluation will be done at: 

• Large Urban Areas
• Moderate Density Built Areas
• High Density Built Areas

Use of the Dashboard

An interactive Evaluation Dashboard tool will be developed to aid evaluation and to improve local authorities’ and other stakeholders’ ability to make decisions built on collected data. Decisions can be e.g. how to optimize use and allocation of spaces that can influence congestion, noise, safety, air quality, GHG emissions, societal acceptance and livability in cities.