Differdange explores digital models for traffic and delivery space

Swiss company Transcality presented a mobility digital twin developed with Differdange at Barcelona’s Smart City Expo. The model can be used to compare ways of organising traffic before changes are made on the street. Luxembourg’s Economy Ministry reported the presentation on 5 November. It did not say which scenarios have already been tested for Differdange or whether any decisions resulted.

The practical question for residents reaches beyond the trade fair. In the town centre, deliveries, parking and other traffic compete for limited kerbside space. If freight is left out of a new traffic plan, delivery vehicles may end up stopping where they obstruct movement. A digital model can help planners examine possible effects in advance, but street trials and municipal decisions are still needed.

Separately, Differdange is participating in the European NEXTLOGIC project. This is a distinct pilot, not a reported result of the Transcality model. The city is exploring flexible loading and unloading zones in the centre, where scarce space could be allocated according to demand rather than assigned permanently to one use. The idea builds on a scheme developed in The Hague.

NEXTLOGIC plans to expand Differdange’s existing digital twin with data on passenger travel and urban freight. The team is also assessing charging infrastructure for electric freight vehicles near loading zones and whether the approach fits local regulations. The city says the University of Luxembourg, Parkunload and Cluster for Logistics Luxembourg are involved.

The work remains at the development and testing stage. Neither the city nor the project has published measured results on delivery times, congestion or new parking rules. Updates are available from the <a href="https://differdange.lu/vivre/projets/nextlogic/">city of Differdange</a> and the <a href="https://www.nextlogic-project.eu/differdange/">NEXTLOGIC project</a>.