Systems and the future
Delivery point
housinggated communityoffice buildingretailtransit station
A fixed place in the building for receiving mail and parcels without anyone having to be present. It ranges from the slot in the door to a bank of lockers with electronic locks.
What it solves
It avoids failed deliveries, theft and parcels soaked by rain. It organizes the comings and goings of couriers in buildings and condominiums.
Today
Place it under a roof, at a visible and lit entrance, within reach of a person in a wheelchair. In buildings reserve space for large parcels.
Common mistake
Letting parcels pile up on the sidewalk or at the guardhouse without control or protection.
Tomorrow
A shared delivery point in the building or at the neighborhood corner store reduces trips and lost parcels. It can add a swap shelf and a cool locker for food from local producers.
Fact In a Seattle building, the share of residents who never had a parcel returned rose from 61% to 92% after lockers were installed.
Where it comes from
- 1European mail Italy, 1674
A plaque in Portaria preserves a mailbox bearing that date, identified as the first in the country. - 2Rural delivery United States, 1896
Rural free delivery spread the roadside mailbox, which had a standard model from 1916. - 3National postal service Germany, 2001
The first automated parcel locker was tested in Dortmund and Mainz.
See also
Also in Systems and the future
Diagrams and texts by LDB Arquitectura. They are shared under the CC BY 4.0 license, which allows them to be used and adapted with credit to the source.