Background & Motivation
Understanding why urban freight matters for the 15-minute city vision
The 15-Minute City Vision
The 15-minute city concept envisions neighbourhoods where residents can access all essential services within a 15-minute walk or bike ride, significantly reducing trip distances and improving quality of life. However, there is a critical element missing from most planning discussions: urban freight.
The Challenge
As basic services relocate into residential neighbourhoods, freight traffic follows — but the data and planning tools to manage this shift are largely absent. Critical questions remain unanswered:
Where will freight demand increase most significantly?
How will delivery patterns and routes shift?
What impact will this have on residents' choices and behaviour?
How can we minimise congestion, pollution, and spatial pressure?
Urban freight currently lacks sufficient integration within the 15-minute city concept. The absence of comprehensive freight data prevents effective planning for sustainable, liveable neighbourhoods and hinders the ability to reduce negative impacts such as congestion, air pollution, compromised accessibility, and pressure on public space.
Our Approach: The POTUS Project
POTUS brings together key stakeholders — urban administrations, academic institutions, logistics operators, and residents — to address critical data gaps and create evidence-based solutions for sustainable urban freight in 15-minute cities.
Data Collection
Standardised, transnational survey methods to capture comprehensive urban freight data
Modelling & Analysis
Neighbourhood-specific freight demand models and scenario simulations
Knowledge Transfer
User-friendly survey handbook and planning recommendations for cities
European Scale
Transferable tools and findings from small cities to metropolitan regions
What POTUS Delivers
Key Outputs
- Comprehensive urban freight data collection framework
- Standardised survey methodologies and harmonised datasets
- Evidence-based planning recommendations for 15-minute neighbourhoods
- User-friendly urban freight survey handbook (open access)
- Decision-support tool for sustainable urban logistics planning
- Transferable knowledge across diverse European city typologies