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Planning for e-commerce

E-commerce (short for electronic commerce) describes the buying or selling of products and associated services over the internet or through mobile applications. The most visible vendors are Amazon, Walmart and Wayfair furniture, however, there are millions of smaller entities thanks to the ease of online marketplace platforms. Offerings include durable goods (such as furniture), small goods, groceries and prepared food deliveries. The growth in e-commerce is now reshaping cities, suburbs and outlying industrial districts, as well as traffic patterns for moving goods from ports to warehouses to a shopper's doorstep.

Prioritizing Public Value in the Changing Mobility Landscape

This report looks at the values and goals cities affect with policies concerning connected mobility, and how to create a new framework that aligns with these objectives. The report makes the case for avoiding a narrow focus on discrete transportation modes and technology issues, and instead look for value frameworks that properly balance the growing number of users and uses in public spaces.

ITE Curbside Management Practitioners Guide

This 2018 Guide (50 pages) from the Institute for Transportation Engineers (ITE) provides an overview of planning consideration for curbside management. Curb space is where movement meets access, however, is not always optimized for its highest and best use. Traditional uses, such as on-street parking and loading, are experiencing increased competition for space from technology-enabled uses such as Transportation Network Companies such as Uber and Lyft, as well as increased deliveries with e-commerce.

The Future of the Last-Mile Ecosystem

Growing demand for e-commerce delivery will result in 36% more delivery vehicles in inner cities by 2030, leading to a rise in both emissions and traffic congestion without effective intervention. Without effective intervention, urban last-mile delivery emissions and traffic congestion are on track to increase by over 30% in the top 100 cities globally. The Future of the Last-Mile Ecosystem analyses 24 interventions that can reduce emissions, congestion and delivery costs for the urban last-mile. With the ecosystem-wide change, interventions could reduce emissions and traffic congestion by 30%, and delivery cost by 25%, compared to the “do-nothing” scenario.

Street Supplies Library

Provided by the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordination Agncy (NOACA), Street Supplies is a library of supplies for temporary street installations for bicycle, pedestrian and transit improvements. The library includes a range of materials such as paint, bike racks and planters.

Toronto Draft Autonomous Vehicles (AV) Tactical Plan

The AV Tactical Plan outlines how the City should prepare for AVs and how it can influence the direction of the technology in these early stages. The overall goal is to be proactive, ensuring that Toronto is well-placed to both maximize opportunities and mitigate impacts arising from the arrival of AVs in the City. The tactical plan is keyed to long range 2050 goals, with checkpoints in 2022.

Tracking Key Performance Metrics

Cities are increasingly establishing key performance metrics (or KPIs) to track performance of municipal functions. Cities typically pick a key goal, associated metrics and benchmarks for success. The tracking system will show how the city is performing relative to the set goal. Scores can be shown for individual functions or as an overall aggregate score.

First/Last Mile case study using TNCs: Case Study

The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA), in Pinellas County, FL, launched a first-of-its-kind service with a transportation network company (TNC) and taxi company to offer joint first/last-mile service subsidized by public dollars. The case study (June 2019, 32 pages) reviews the pilot's three phases, with lessons on how to work with providers and how to construct an effective pilot project.

First/Last Mile Grocery Deliveries: 2019 Report

This 40 page report from Capgemini examines how to address the growing demand for immediate delivery, in particular for groceries, with technology and land uses. This "last mile" delivery refers to the final part of a journey where a customer takes ownership of an ordered product. The report covers five countries and includes the results of research, analysis, and interviews.

Smart Cities Explorer

The Smart City Explorer is a digital, interactive "textbook" showing various smart city technologies for campuses, greenfield, and brownfield sites. The site was developed by the Smart Cities Council Australia New Zealand and the Place Design Group in 2018. The Explorer is a companion to the Code for Smart Cities guide.

Micromobility

Micromobility refers to low speed (< 15 miles/hour) vehicles such as bicycles, scooters, skateboards and other rideables. They may be owned or shared, human powered or power assist, and docked or dockless. While shared use models of bikes and scooters draw the most attention, there is substantial growth in sales to individuals. Most attention to micromobility fouses on shared-used companies, however, owned models will also contribute to demand for infrastructure and parking. As such cities and campuses should look at all aspets of micromobility.

Curb Management

Smart city, online retail and transportation technology are increasing competition for short-term curbside access. This is in addition to traditional public transit and on-street parking uses. To manage utilization, decrease curbside congestion, and capture value, more cities are seeking ways to better manage curbspace.

Transit Transfer Design Guides

Transit stations and stops serve as transfer points to other transit lines or modes. Designing these transfer points to facilitate safe, predictable, efficient and legible transfers helps boost the transit. Note design also includes access to the station or stop, not just a transfer zone.

Designing Policy: The Game

Designing Policy is a board & card game to help players understand and navigate a project, its design, and relevant policies. The game was developed in 2017 by the Enterprise Rose Architectural Fellowship.

Office of Public Private Partnerships (P3s)

As use of Public Private Partnerships (P3s or PPPs) grows, establishing a single office can help manage multiple stakeholders involved in large, complex projects across sectors. Cites have traditionally used P3s to finance infrastructure projects, parking, and large redevelopment projects. There is growing interest in partnership models for communications (5G and broadband), cybersecurity, district energy, education, and smart city technology.

US Climate Resilience Toolkit

The U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit is a website designed to help people find and use tools, information, and subject matter expertise to build climate resilience. The Toolkit offers information from all across the U.S. federal government in one easy-to-use location.

Unsolicited Proposals for Innovative Technology

Government agencies and offices are creating structured programs to accept unsolicited proposals as an alternative to issuing detailed Requests for Proposals (RfPs). This allows an agency to efficiently procure for new products and unique services. Unsolicited bids are similar to sole source contracts, though are often more flexible.