Urban streets are contested public spaces due to their limited capacity and the diverse functions they serve. Despite their multifunctionality, the needs of specific users—such as freight and delivery services—have historically been neglected in urban space allocation policies, often at the expense of overall livability.
Recently, freight curbside management has emerged as a strategy to mitigate these conflicts, optimizing street space for service and delivery vehicles while supporting cities’ sustainability goals. While pilot programs testing freight curbside interventions offer an initial opportunity for policymakers to assess their effectiveness, the progression from pilot projects to institutionalized practices remains insufficiently explored.
Recent research aims to identify the factors contributing to the success or failure of institutionalizing freight curbside interventions tested through pilot programs. To achieve this, the study examines case studies from various global cities that have implemented, monitored, and evaluated such pilots, using institutional theory as an analytical framework. Case selection focused on pilots that had advanced beyond initial implementation to include evaluation and potential continuation phases.
The analysis uncovered the role of coercive, normative, and mimetic forces in driving the transition from pilot projects to established practices. Data collection and analysis identified 23 key themes across four domains: organizational, economic, technological, and regulatory. Successful institutionalization was linked to strategically selecting high-demand loading zones, demonstrating public benefits, and enhancing the user experience. Conversely, interventions often failed due to regulatory barriers, problematic business models, and restrictive land use regulations, underscoring the need for flexible, context-specific solutions.
Coercive pressures—such as legal mandates from public agencies, pilot scope definitions, and user experience requirements—influenced the transition towards institutionalization. Normative pressures shaped changes related to public benefits, stakeholder engagement, business model viability, and data management practices. Meanwhile, mimetic forces played a crucial role during the early stages of pilot implementation, as cities drew lessons from the experiences of others with prior curbside management initiatives.
In conclusion, this study highlights the key factors that drive the successful transition from freight curbside pilot projects to institutionalized practices. By recognizing and addressing these factors, stakeholders can improve decision-making, strengthen collaborations, and develop more effective implementation strategies. The insights gained from this research provide a practical roadmap for policymakers aiming to establish sustainable freight curbside management practices. As innovations in this field continue to evolve, the lessons learned from this study will serve as a foundation for future developments, supporting more efficient and effective freight curbside solutions.