Urban studies must consider urban freight

In a new paper, the authors argue that urban studies must consider urban freight as a crucial component of ongoing urban transformations. The movement of goods is increasingly shaping cities, with uncertain implications for sustainability, livability, and justice. Despite its importance, freight logistics has been largely overlooked in urban studies. This paper aims to address …

Using E-fulfilment centers for direct last-mile parcel delivery: an activity cost-based analysis

In recent years, online shopping has been rapidly increasing. Optimizing the sorting processes in e-fulfillment centers, combined with direct parcel delivery from these centers to nearby customers, has not been widely studied quantitatively. The primary objective of a recent paper is to determine whether e-fulfillment centers can reduce parcel delivery costs: ‘To what extent is …

New publication: City Logistics 2023

The proceedings of the 12th International Conference on City Logistics have been published. The conference focused on urban freight transport issues, models, evaluation methods, and planning approaches. The proceedings present 55 articles. The results of the conference were: Urban freight transport has become a significant issue in city planning due to challenges such as traffic …

Everything you always wanted to know about cargo bikes

After more than 1.5 years of work involving 35 experts and resulting in 425 pages of valuable content, the German book Radlogistiek (Bicycle Logistics – Basics of Logistics and Commercial Transport with Cargo and Transport Bikes) is now available. Businesses, administrations, and other stakeholder groups still need to know about cargo bikes. Radlogistik aims to …

Review: decoding cargo bikes’ potential to be a sustainable last-mile delivery mode

Cargo bikes may be recognized as a cost-effective and adaptable solution for last-mile goods transportation. However, few studies have examined the factors essential for their sustainable operation and effectiveness as the final segment of a green, efficient, and socially beneficial supply chain. To address this gap, the authors of a recent paper systematically collected and …

City logistics: experiences with hubs and decoupling inner and outer urban transport

The focus must extend beyond merely reducing emissions to achieve a more sustainable city logistics system. Alongside adopting zero-emission vehicles, it is crucial to decrease urban logistics trips due to various urban, environmental, and economic challenges. To optimize city logistics, a new paper emphasizes the role of hubs and decoupling points, which separate the logistics …

What KPIs to use for smart mobility? The case of Barcelona

A recent article identifies and examines key performance indicators (KPIs) for citizen mobility logistics in smart and sustainable urban areas. It begins with a comprehensive literature review to identify essential KPIs, offering valuable insights for public and private stakeholders, including policymakers and mobility service providers. Drawing from various mobility projects in smart cities, the study …

UNCTAD: e-commerce should become more environmentally sustainable

On July 10, UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) launched The Digital Economy Report 2024, highlighting the global digital sector’s significant environmental impact and the disproportionate burden developed by developing countries. The report underscores that while digitalization fuels global economic growth and presents unique opportunities for developing nations, its environmental consequences are becoming increasingly severe. Due …

About Ochama 1-hour delivery in Amsterdam (NL)

Ochama, an innovative omnichannel retailer, recently introduced 1-hour delivery, highlighting its commitment to swift and reliable shopping experiences that cater to customers’ evolving needs. This new service offers free one-hour delivery for selected products throughout most of Amsterdam (NL), making it the only complimentary service in the Netherlands. The offering includes various products, such as …

A review of city-wide 30 km/h speed limit benefits in Europe

European cities increasingly implement 30 km/h speed limits across street networks. A new paper aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of such speed limits in Europe. Quantitative methods and qualitative assessments were used to condense research findings. The study examined the impact of city-wide 30 km/h speed limits on safety, the environment, energy consumption, traffic, livability, …