From the City of the Cart to Autonomous Logistics: We Need an Urban Strategy, Not Just Technology

In the latest episode of “Container” on Radio 24, Professor Ennio Cascetta explored the topic of urban transformation in light of evolving transport systems. His reflection is a valuable reminder that cities are not simply the result of zoning plans, but the historical sum of the technologies that made it possible to move and exchange value within urban space.

Cities are born when mobility becomes part of daily life. From ancient Athens to Imperial Rome, from medieval towns to railway-based industrial districts, each technological leap has left a lasting mark on the shape of the urban environment. Today, as robotaxis and autonomous delivery vans begin to enter the market, it is legitimate to ask: what will be the next configuration of the city and of urban logistics?

However, the question is not just when innovation will arrive. We must ask how we intend to govern it.

The Seventh Urban Revolution

We are at the heart of a new revolution—electric, connected, shared, and autonomous—as anticipated by FIT Consulting back in 2017 during the conference “Mobility Shifts Gear.” This revolution holds the promise of reducing the impact of private mobility, making freight transport more efficient, and reclaiming vital urban space currently occupied by parked vehicles 95% of the time.

Yet without conscious urban governance, this transformation risks amplifying existing issues: congestion in critical nodes, proliferation of uncontrolled micro-vehicles, technological dumping, and socio-spatial imbalances.

Urban logistics—and especially the last mile—is the real testing ground. While private cars are shifting toward sharing and automation, freight distribution demands space, time, energy, technology, labour, and a careful balance between efficiency and social acceptability.

Robotaxis Alone Are Not Enough: Public Choices Are Needed

The biggest mistake would be to leave the regulation of urban logistics entirely to the innovation push of tech companies or private operators. The market alone cannot optimise the use of urban space. A public governance framework is needed—one that sets boundaries, enables experimentation, and ensures fair competition.

The direction we need to follow is clear:

• Implement smart, digital and fair access regulations;
• Support the development of urban micro-hubs for consolidation and distribution;
• Promote the use of zero-emission vehicles, without mandating specific technologies or solutions;
• Prevent the formation of de facto monopolies by ensuring interoperability among systems and operators;
• Encourage public-private partnerships (PPPs) that leverage logistics expertise without handing over control of public space.

Urban Logistics as a Common Good

Cities can no longer afford to treat logistics as an external, invisible, or purely technical factor. On the contrary, urban logistics is a common good—one that directly affects liveability, sustainability, and competitiveness in metropolitan areas.

Institutions have the responsibility to create the conditions for modern, open, transparent, and sustainable logistics. Operators, in turn, must engage, offer solutions, and embrace the challenges of innovation and dialogue.

The city of the future will not simply be “post-car”. Above all, it will be a city that has learned to govern flows, not be governed by them.

Listen to the episode on Radio24: https://www.radio24.ilsole24ore.com/programmi/container/puntata/trasmissione-26-luglio-2025-2300-2349687613352795