The LIFE project Urbannecy (LIFE12 ENV/FR/001125) in Annecy, France is delivering technical know-how on how to reduce urban transport pollution in cities.
While the last decade has seen European cities take major steps to tackle traffic congestion and related pollution, little attention has been paid to the goods distribution process, which is one of the major sources of traffic congestion and air and noise pollution in urban areas.
The results of the Urbannecy project are expected to be highly policy relevant. The Head of the LIFE Environment Unit at DG Environment, Hervé Martin, is to visit the French project on 6 April 2016 to see first-hand how gas emissions are being reduced in the city.
The goal of the LIFE+ Urbannecy project is to improve the urban environment via a logistics platform using ecological vehicles. Annecy has 52 000 inhabitants. Its old town has very narrow streets, parts of them exclusively pedestrian. In addition, Annecy is a popular tourist destination throughout the year. There are a lot of small shops, restaurants and other businesses. Due to the need for daily goods deliveries, transport has become a serious headache for the city. It was therefore decided to develop an Urban Distribution Centre (Centre de Distribution Urbain) to ensure that goods destined for Annecy's city centre could be delivered in a more sustainable way in a bid to reduce congestion as well as greenhouse gas and particulate matter emissions.
The idea is that the transport companies or individuals delivering goods can leave their products at the UDC who will organise the "last mile delivery", thus decreasing the number of delivery vehicles and lorries entering the city centre. The UDC has been operational since February 2015 and has gradually increased its number of clients while also developing ancillary activities such as the collection of waste.
The Commission will get an overview of the project's implementation and results. An exchange of views with different stakeholders, including journalists will take place in the afternoon.
For further information on LIFE Urbannecy visit the project's website
Source: © European Union, 1995-2016