Author: Andrea Dominguez Gamez
On 8 October, XCARCITY partners and stakeholders met for the workshop “Crowdsourced Delivery Simulation and Initial Results” to discuss the first simulation results of crowd-sourced delivery (CSD) in Rotterdam and its potential contribution to more sustainable urban logistics.
The workshop presented a simulation framework that combines travel behaviour, parcel demand, and logistics operations to evaluate how everyday travellers could contribute to parcel deliveries during their planned trips. The results sparked discussions on the role that crowdshipping could play in supporting cities’ sustainability and mobility objectives.
A key theme of the discussion was the potential of the simulation as a decision-support tool for urban freight policy. Stakeholders highlighted its value for exploring future scenarios, assessing freight interventions, and understanding how using existing trips could help to reduce the presence of delivery vans in city centres.
Participants also discussed opportunities to strengthen the model through closer collaboration. Access to additional information on parcel pick-up points, parcel flows, and mobility apps would allow the simulation to represent local conditions more accurately and evaluate a wider range of policy and operational scenarios.
Representatives from both Rotterdam and Amsterdam expressed interest in further collaboration, including sharing information and exploring practical applications of the simulation framework to support urban logistics planning and policy development.
The workshop demonstrated the importance of collaboration between researchers, municipalities, and industry partners in developing innovative solutions for more sustainable and efficient urban freight systems.