Lessons from Germany’s Urban Logistics Planning

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Urban logistics has become a critical issue for planners worldwide, driven by the rapid expansion of e-commerce and the growth of urban populations. In Germany, the juxtaposition of dense urban centers and expansive rural areas presents a unique case.

Research suggests that Germany's approaches may offer valuable lessons for planners globally. This analysis draws on recent studies by Thiemermann (2025) and Greischel, Nagy, Conrad, and Schäfer (2024), with a focus on land use, spatial inequality, and innovative logistics solutions.

Challenges in Urban Logistics

As in many countries, Germany's logistics sector is a significant consumer of land. In "Planning Addressing of Logistics Areas in Spatial Planning. An Exemplary Evaluation of (Supra) Regional Spatial Development Plans," Andre Thiemermann shows that warehouse buildings account for 25 percent of land consumption for nonresidential buildings, with daily land use increasing from 2.3 hectares per day (2000–2005) to 2.9 hectares per day (2011–2015).

Despite this growing land consumption, and the negative effects not only of the facilities themselves but also of the associated transport infrastructure, particularly noise emissions affecting sensitive land uses such as housing, logistics has often been overlooked in spatial planning. Yet the targeted designation of areas for logistics is increasingly seen as a prerequisite for shifting transport toward more sustainable modes.

Germany (Google Earth Image © 2025)

Spatial inequality is another pressing issue, particularly in rural areas. In "Social Logistics: Rethinking Public Transport as a Regional Distributor of Goods in Rural Areas," Eva Greischel, Emilia Nagy, Alexander Conrad, and Martina Schäfer found that approximately 60 percent of rural regions in Germany are experiencing stagnating or declining populations, which undermines local supply chains.

Reduced consumption leads to lower transportation volumes, affecting the profitability of logistics companies and diminishing the variety, quality, and price competitiveness of goods available locally. This market failure drives rural residents to shop in urban areas or online, further reducing access to logistics services and deepening the rural–urban divide.

Proposed Solutions from German Research

To address these challenges, German planners and researchers have proposed several strategies that integrate logistics into broader spatial planning frameworks:

Regional Planning for Logistics

Thiemermann (2025) emphasizes the importance of regional planning in identifying and designating priority areas for logistics facilities. For example, the Stuttgart Regional Plan designates "priority areas for industry and logistics," intended for significantly disruptive commercial enterprises and logistics operations, while excluding incompatible uses.

This approach ensures that logistics facilities are located where they can be efficiently served by transportation infrastructure, while balancing other spatial demands such as residential or agricultural land. Despite its advantages, the designation of priority areas for logistics has seen limited application to date.

Intermodal Connections and Transport Infrastructure

Planners are encouraged to develop strategies that prioritize intermodal connections, ensuring that logistics sites have access to high-capacity roads, rail connections (preferably to main lines), and integration with combined transport terminals. This approach enhances efficiency and reduces environmental impact, aligning with the goals of sustainable urban planning.

Social Logistics: A Sustainable Approach for Rural Areas

Greischel, Nagy, Conrad, and Schäfer (2024) introduce the concept of "social logistics," which reimagines public transport as a regional distributor of goods in rural areas. Their study, conducted in a peripheral rural region, tested the use of public buses to deliver regional goods and return online orders, involving local retailers and parcel services.

The UCKER Warentakt project exemplifies this model, enabling citizens to shop locally while supporting infrastructure that serves less mobile members of the population. The research suggests that this approach is sustainable in the long term and has potential for scaling, emphasizing social and environmental benefits over purely economic considerations.

The real-world laboratory method allowed for continuous monitoring and adaptation, fostering stakeholder involvement and collaborative problem-solving.

Global Relevance and Key Takeaways

The German experience offers several key lessons for planners worldwide, adaptable to a variety of urban and regional contexts.

The strategies from Germany can be adapted to other contexts, such as the United States, where cities and rural areas face similar challenges, like sprawling warehouse development and declining retail access in rural communities.

For example, integrating logistics into regional spatial planning frameworks can help manage land use, like rural bus routes can enhance goods delivery in underserved areas. The concept of social logistics, which emphasizes community benefits, aligns with global sustainability goals and offers a promising model for planners in regions experiencing rural depopulation or aging populations.

Top image: iStock/Getty Images Plus/ Deejpilot