Joint Statement with POLIS and EPA: Co-creating the future of urban logistics

Thursday, September 18th, 2025

On 17 September 2025, ALICE, POLIS, and the European Parking Association (EPA) issued a Joint Statement at the EPA Conference in Brussels. This statement marks a significant milestone in the collaboration between these three organisations, which have worked together for several years to address the challenges and opportunities of urban freight, curbside management and sustainable mobility.

Building on a shared journey

The partnership between ALICE, POLIS and EPA has evolved through joint workshops, surveys and research initiatives, particularly within the Horizon Europe framework. Each organisation brings complementary expertise:

POLIS connects European cities and regions, ensuring that local policies and mobility needs are at the heart of the debate.
EPA contributes in-depth knowledge of parking and curbside operations, which is essential for freight access and urban space management.
ALICE advances logistics and supply chain innovation, with a strong focus on efficiency, digitalisation and decarbonisation.

This collaboration provides a Europe-wide platform for dialogue between public authorities, parking managers, logistics operators and innovators.

Key messages of the Joint Statement

The Joint Statement emphasises several priorities for the future of urban logistics and space management:

Sustained collaboration: A strategic platform has been established to address urban challenges in a joint and structured manner.
Cross-sector engagement: Cities, logistics providers and parking managers are encouraged to share experiences and co-design solutions.
Integration of digital and physical systems: Urban Data Spaces and the Physical Internet have been identified as key enablers to ensure seamless access to infrastructure and services, reduce barriers, and create new opportunities.
Linking sustainability and competitiveness: Aligning the Green Deal with digitalisation can make urban logistics a driver of European innovation and resilience.

Looking ahead

The joint session at the EPA Conference 2025 reflects past collaboration and marks a step towards future policy recommendations to be developed within the DISCO project framework and published in 2026. The recommendations are expected to provide guidance on integrated approaches to urban space and logistics management.

The Joint Statement highlights the importance of collective action for all stakeholders involved in urban mobility and logistics. Addressing issues such as space allocation, curbside access, data sharing and zero-emission delivery requires sustained cooperation across sectors.

ALICE, alongside POLIS and EPA, remains committed to fostering an environment of trust where cities, companies, and innovators can exchange knowledge and develop practical, scalable solutions that support Europe’s twin transition to a green and digital future.

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