Frank Horch| City of Hamburg

Home to the second largest port in Europe, Hamburg, Germany has been a transportation center for centuries, serving as a vital link to trade between the continent and the world beyond.

Since early times, people have settled by great rivers to engage in trade. Ports are vibrant population centers in every continent. They are often characterized by a thriving economy, wide diversity, tolerance and creativity.

这也是汉堡的样子。

But the city was tailored for waterways, not global commerce in the 21st century. In this age of globalization, we constantly reinvent ourselves and develop with an eye toward the future. Today, Hamburg’s inner city is lined with narrow streets, a bustling pocket of activity in which infrastructure struggles to keep up with modern demands.

商用车使街道无法通行。停车通常不存在。必须要做些事情。情况对生意不利。也许最重要的是，这种僵局对环境不利。其他道路不是一个选择。我们需要找到一种更好的方法来使用现有空间。我们需要一个大主意。我们需要合作伙伴。

Luckily, a few years ago, UPS came to us with an innovative solution.

利用大想法

全球最大的运输和物流公司提议用汉堡的一个较小的城市友好舰队代替其大型运输车辆。

UPS drivers would pick up deliveries from a storage container of consolidated shipments in the center of the city.

然后，UPS司机将使用替代方法，包括步行者，传统的三轮车和电辅助三轮车，在整个市中心和仅行人区域进行交付。

UPS would rely on four electronically-assisted bikes, known as Cargo Cruisers. For context, a standard 220-volt electric socket recharges the Cargo Cruiser’s electric motor batteries overnight.

Each stakeholder had a simple goal: reduce traffic in the city center and lower overall emissions caused by package delivery in Hamburg.

Neuer Wall, one of Hamburg’s busiest shopping districts, was Ground Zero for our sustainability efforts. It’s a luxury shopping street – and surrounded by water.

There’s no space for deliveries behind the stores. To call it congested would be an understatement. But this is the price of urbanization. And though a major problem, it’s also a significant opportunity.

更大的画面

This pilot program has been a game-changer. UPS service providers make fewer trips to package centers, reducing congestion and noise. And the bicycles and walkers are particularly useful in navigating the narrow streets of central areas of the city.

This campaign meshes nicely with Germany’s broader efforts to reduce its carbon footprint. The country has committed to reduce carbon emissions 40 percent by 2020 and about 80 percent by 2050 as compared with 1990 levels. Roads and walking and cycling trails are fixtures throughout Hamburg.

因此，该市需要一种解决方案，不会破坏已经到位的基础设施。它必须在环境上可持续和经济上可行。

Many cities today are struggling with similar issues.

Not unique to Hamburg

By 2050, two-thirds of all people will live in a city.

With many large cities in Europe and around the world limiting access to their central commercial and residential zones – allowing only zero-emission or compact size vehicles – developing and deploying new and innovative techniques is essential.

这不是我们可以独自承担的任务。

Governments, private companies and nonprofits all have a role in building logistics networks that foster responsible growth. Environmental progress need not come at the expense of economic gain.

Our hope is that the innovative work UPS and Hamburg pioneered together will serve as a solution other cities can replicate. We’re optimistic this partnership can be the springboard for future innovation.

If Hamburg is any indication, we’re on the path to a brighter – and greener – future.

Frank Horchis the Minister of Transport for the city of Hamburg, Germany.

本文首先出现在Longitudes，UPS博客致力于塑造全球经济的趋势。Subscribe hereto receive new content.