As e-commerce continues to reshape urban mobility, cities are under growing pressure to manage increasing numbers of delivery vehicles while reducing congestion, emissions and competition for public space. Yet urban logistics often remains overlooked in mobility planning. To help cities address this challenge, VEFRESH along Latvian Post and Malta’s DeepTech Foundry won the competitive grant by EIT Urban Mobility to support the UrbanLogix project (2025), bringing together public authorities, logistics operators and mobility experts to strengthen the integration of urban logistics into Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs).
Latvia and Malta are working to address this gap through the UrbanLogix – Urban Logistics Innovation and Knowledge Exchange for Sustainable Cities, a project aimed to strengthen the integration of logistics into mobility planning and improving cooperation between public authorities and logistics operators.
Led by VEFRESH with Latvian Post and Malta’s DeepTech Foundry, UrbanLogix engaged key stakeholders including DHL, DPD, UPS, Wolt, Bolt, Omniva, MaltaPost and Latvian Post, whose insights helped shape the project’s recommendations. Through workshops, stakeholder consultations and international knowledge exchange activities, the project created a platform where cities and industry could jointly develop practical solutions for more sustainable urban freight.
Building a shared framework for greener city logistics
A key outcome was the development of the Green Delivery Action Plan, a practical roadmap supporting municipalities in integrating urban logistics into SUMP development. It provides recommendations across five key areas: governance, curbside management, congestion reduction, fleet electrification, and the deployment of microhubs and parcel lockers. Designed to complement local Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans now abreast in many Baltic cities, the action plan offers cities practical guidance that can be adapted to local contexts.
The project has already delivered tangible policy impact. UrbanLogix contributed directly to the inclusion of urban logistics in the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan currently being developed for the Riga Metropolitan Area with support from the European Investment Bank (2026). This represents an important step towards recognising freight transport as an essential component of modern sustainable urban mobility planning.
It has also enabled knowledge exchange between experts from the Baltics, Nordic countries, Malta and other European regions, supporting the transfer of best practices in urban logistics planning. UrbanLogix was also a success in terms of outreach. The project’s five organised events gathered more than 290 participants and social media reached an audience of 34 thousand.
Beyond its local impact, UrbanLogix contributed to EIT Urban Mobility’s mission of accelerating the transition to more sustainable, people-centred urban mobility. By fostering collaboration between municipalities, logistics providers and international experts from the Baltics, Nordic countries, Malta and across Europe, the project strengthened the exchange of knowledge and good practices that can support cities facing similar challenges.
“UrbanLogix helped bring sustainable urban logistics into the centre of mobility planning discussions in Latvia and Malta. With the support of EIT Urban Mobility, We were able to bring together municipalities, logistics operators, policymakers, NGOs and academic experts to better understand last-mile delivery challenges and identify practical ways forward”, explained a representative from VEFRESH.
