Gestern • 1 Std. 10 Min.

Barcelona’s dense, mixed-use neighbourhoods create intense competition for limited kerbside space. Delivery vehicles must share the street with residents, taxis, ride-hailing services, micromobility and other users, while static loading and unloading zones often struggle to respond to changing demand. Unauthorised parking, unpredictable stopping times and double-parking further reduce the effective capacity available for urban freight. In this episode, Katy and Thato take listeners inside the Barcelona Living Lab, where DISCO is testing new approaches to curbside management and urban freight data sharing. Together with Ramon Morros Rubió and Hugo Martínez from the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Panos Protopapas from INLECOM and Andreas Nettsträter from the Open Logistics Foundation, they explore what happens when digital tools meet the everyday realities of city streets. The conversation looks at how better information can help cities understand what is really happening at the curb, why data sharing is often more difficult than expected, and what cities need to move from promising pilots to solutions that can work at scale. Barcelona’s experience also opens up a wider discussion about interoperability, standardisation and the role of open approaches in urban logistics. How much digital infrastructure do cities really need? What makes stakeholders willing to share data? And how can solutions be designed so they respond to local realities without becoming impossible to replicate elsewhere? At the heart of the episode is a broader question: is the main challenge technological? Or is it about governance, trust and creating the right conditions for people and organisations to work together? Contributors: Ramon Morros Rubió — Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya Hugo Martínez — Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya Panos Protopapas — INLECOM Andreas Nettsträter — Open Logistics Foundation Jingle: Santiago Campos, Musicbox Visuals: DISCO project Disclaimer This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101103954. The sole responsibility for the content of this website lies with the authors. It does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Union. Neither the INEA nor the European Commission are responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.