City exchange on urban logistics
Berlin has initiated a recurring exchange platform for cities and federal states across Germany working on urban logistics. The initiative, launched in August 2024, brings together public administration staff who deal with commercial transport to share insights and learn from each other. The City Exchange is an informal platform that meets monthly online, where current urban logistics topics are presented and openly discussed among peers.
Image credit: City of Berlin
Who it’s for
The exchange is designed for public administration professionals engaged in commercial transport planning and policy across German cities and regions.
Key stakeholders involved: Public administration staff from various German cities and federal states.
Impact in numbers
- Monthly online meetings
- Shared folder and mailing list for ongoing communication
- Low-cost and low-tech structure ensures ease of replication
- Participants discuss comparable processes and share lessons
What was learned
The original one-hour monthly format proved too short to delve deeply into complex topics. As a result, additional sessions on key issues were introduced to enable more focused peer-to-peer learning. This flexible approach allows deeper dialogue on specific challenges when needed.
Challenges faced:
While major cities have dedicated staff, smaller cities often have only one employee handling logistics, with limited empirical knowledge and no formal exchange channels. This initiative helps bridge that gap.