Improving policy support in city logistics: The contributions of a multi-actor multi-criteria analysis

Abstract

A range of solutions have been developed to improve the sustainability of city logistics. However, their implementations are sometimes failing. Involving stakeholders in the decision process is increasingly recognised to be a necessity to guarantee the adoption of these solutions by the sector and ensure their successful implementation. The objective of the paper is therefore to contribute to the development of a bottom-up approach where stakeholders are involved in the evaluation and selection of more sustainable strategies for city logistics.The authors present the MAMCA as a method which structures the consultation process of stakeholders. This approach was tested in a workshop in Brussels and the paper uses that consultation process as an illustration of the methodology. That application demonstrated the benefits of the MAMCA to ensure a productive workshop. The methodology allows the authorities to especially identify the priorities of the stakeholders in city logistics, to guide the discussion towards a consensus and to provide inputs for an eventual adaptation of the strategies.