ULaaDS—Urban Logistics as an on-Demand Service—was a European Horizon 2020 project coordinated by the City of Bremen. It ran from September 2020 to February 2024, bringing together 24 partners from local government, research, logistics and related organisations. Its aim was to help cities respond to the growth of on-demand delivery with shared, zero-emission logistics, while reducing pressure on urban streets and public space.23
The project centred on three “lighthouse” cities: Bremen in Germany, Mechelen in Belgium and Groningen in the Netherlands. Four “satellite” cities—Alba Iulia, Bergen, Edinburgh and Rome—worked on adapting the approach to their own conditions.26 The work combined co-creation with local authorities and logistics stakeholders, pilot trials, and assessment of whether tested approaches could be incorporated into urban mobility and logistics planning.36
Trials explored cargo bikes, micro-hubs and parcel lockers, as well as cargo-hitching and autonomous vehicles. The project also examined private micro-logistics: ways to help residents move goods without relying on their own cars.6 In Bremen, a cargo-bike sharing pilot was judged effective enough to be incorporated into the city’s main bike-sharing system through a public tender; 40 cargo bikes subsequently operated under the Bre.Bike scheme.2 Other trials highlighted practical limits: ULaaDS reporting noted that collaboration between competing logistics firms can be difficult, and that some sharing-economy concepts were not yet mature enough for real-world deployment.8
The project’s outputs include a decision-support toolbox, guidance and policy recommendations, and a replication booklet for the satellite cities. Together, these materials aim to help other cities assess which logistics measures fit their local context.6 Karsten Hülsemann was listed as project coordinator, with Arianna Americo responsible for replication, upscaling and dissemination.10