Data collection for microscopic modelling of urban parcel transport to and from establishments – empirical insights into city logistics in the region of Karlsruhe, Germany

Abstract

City logistics plays a central role in supplying and disposing goods for establishments and residents in urban areas. However, the steadily rising demand for transporting goods puts cities under pressure. Hence, municipalities strive for alternative solutions for urban freight transport, especially parcel shipments on the first and last mile. Freight demand models are suitable to evaluate the transport-related effects of such solutions. However, developing those models requires a sufficient amount of data, which, to date, especially for establishments, cannot be covered in its necessary scope and accuracy by publicly available sources. Although parcel shipments to and from establishments make up to 40 % of the overall courier, express, and parcel market, these are often neglected in existing modelling approaches. Hence, in this study, we present a data collection concept for generating highly relevant data for the microscopic modelling of urban freight, i.e., parcel transport focusing on establishments. To reflect transport demand (i.e., establishments that need to have goods shipped) and transport supply (i.e., carriers that provide a transport service), a mixed-method approach is developed comprising complementary components. On the one hand, an online establishment survey is designed aiming to reveal disaggregated transport demand data for the subsequent modelling process. The survey focuses on the delivery and shipment characteristics of goods, such as temporal and spatial demand patterns. On the other hand, expert interviews are conceptualized to identify relevant patterns of transport supply carriers such as courier, express, and parcel service providers and shall further work as secondary data for the modelling process. The approach is applied in the region of Karlsruhe, Germany. It can be shown that the survey is generally suitable for generating freight transport data on a disaggregated level and that the mixed-method approach is capable of mutually validating the data obtained. However, our approach also emphasizes the necessity to conduct an establishment survey as a personal rather than a self-reporting interview, even if the costs are higher.