“Curbing the chaos” driving to Physical Internet: the curb appeal encoding competing interest and needs. Paola Cossu’s speech at IPIC 2021
The 8° International Phycal Internet Conference (IPIC) was held from June 14-16, bringing together diverse stakeholders including researchers, industry representatives, government officials and citizens to together explore, discuss, introduce leading edge concepts, methodologies, recent projects, technological advancements,start-up initiatives, for current and future Physical Internet implementation
Session 28 of IPIC 2021 dedicated to “Curb Side Management in the Physical Internet” (https://bit.ly/3wV6eFP) and organized in collaboration with POLIS, Erasmus University Rotterdam, FM Logistics, Urban Radar and Barcelona City Council, was moderated by Paola Cossu, CEO of FIT Consulting, who spoke on “Curbing the chaos” driving to Physical Internet: the curb appeal encoding competing interests and needs”.
Review the speech here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPwkzWS0J48&t=95s
The curbside constitutes the start and end point for a wide array of mobility services. As eCommerce continue to grow due to COVID-19, conventional on-street parking and loading/unloading areas are conflicting with new mobility modes, causing curbside disorder, generating conflicts, environmental issues and inefficiencies.
Planners and urban specialists have many options to manage the curb, but a core challenge to address is understanding real-time demand, considering that the curb zone located between streets and sidewalks is the newest real estate, valuable asset to avoid traffic congestion, double parking and increase inclusion and environmental goals, with potentials to generate revenue opportunities for cities and business.
The special session showed concrete examples, such as the one of Barcelona City Council with Urban Radar and the PLUME project of FM Logistics, highlighting how an intelligent and flexible management of the curb side and urban infrastructures can be an unprecedented opportunity for sustainable and digital development of our cities, in line with the vision of the Physical Internet. It is necessary, from now on, to put in place concrete actions to understand the main mobility conflicts, enhancing all the different needs of city users and investigating how collaborative digital dialogue between municipalities and forward-looking operators allows dynamic and virtuous mobility options, also generating value from existing assets, as well as clear advantages for zero emission cars and a better quality of life in cities, as highlighted by POLIS’ speech.
During the special session attended by Giuliano Mingardo (Erasmus University Rotterdam), Philippe Rapin (Urban Radar), Angel Lòpez (City of Barcelona), Charlotte Migne (FM Logistics), Giacomo Lozzi and Ivo Cré (POLIS), the results of a European survey on curbside management with a focus on urban logistics conducted on logistics operators, specialists and cities by the Erasmus University Rotterdam and FIT Consulting working group with the support of ALICE, POLIS and the European Parking Association were also presented. The survey was carried out in the months of May and June 2021 (it is still possible to participate by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3z2QhPo) and allowed to collect fundamental inputs towards a better understanding of the transition process now underway that hopes the transition from the traditional approach of urban space management to an advanced and virtuous approach of flexible and dynamic Curb-Side management.
Review the session 28 of IPIC 2021 here: https://bit.ly/3xM6LK4
