Category «Food for thoughts»

On-shoring and near-shoring: how to align European supply chains?

Supply chains have been the lifelines of globalization, delivering lower costs and higher efficiencies to production and gains to businesses and consumers worldwide. However, the pandemic, geopolitical tensions, and the increasing importance of sustainability and speed to consumers are changing how companies think about globalization and supply chains. Supply chains were previously organized to minimize …

Valuable ICCT-report on zero emission zones, however not comprehensive

ICCT published a paper to aid cities in planning and implementing low- and zero-emission zones by sharing lessons learned from Europe and North America. The study identifies underlying legal frameworks and enforcement mechanisms, reviews incentives to encourage the transition to zero-emission vehicles and other modes of mobility, and summarizes critical actions for cities to consider …

Is there a future in community shipping?

What if the neighbors came to deliver your parcels from now on? It was a hilarious idea from the Dutch TV program Koefnoen in 2016. Okko and Eus walk with their wagon through the neighborhood, delivering parcels. With all the car-free plans, there may be a future in community shipping as a sustainable option for …

Car-free cities offer new business opportunities

Car accessibility as a privilege is no longer a given in cities. Inner cities and residential areas are becoming car-free. Residents, visitors, and business owners must deal with it. Car-free is the new normal. Does that also create opportunities for creative companies? Almost two-thirds of Amsterdammers favor fewer car routes through the city and more …

The future of urban two-person deliveries

In response to changing consumer markets, retailers are moving to an “omnichannel model,” combining inventory in the physical store with a webshop and home delivery and installation. Delivering and installing heavier products at consumers’ homes is a specialty in the home delivery market like furniture, white goods, and electronics delivery. Dutch web stores deliver consumers …

A framework for city logistics and decarbonization

City logistics must be organized more sustainably and eventually decarbonize. To this end, the focus is mainly on electrification as a technical measure, whereby electric equivalents eventually substitute conventional vehicles. There are, however, numerous decarbonization strategies for city logistics, some of which aim to reduce the number of vehicle movements by changing demand, more collaboration …