Abstract
The location of logistics facilities is important for urban freight transport. Several metropolitan regions have identified that logistics facilities are relocating to suburban areas outside city center boundaries. This phenomenon is known as logistics sprawl. In this paper, we present an analysis of the logistics sprawl phenomenon in the Belo Horizonte Metropolitan Area (Brazil) between 1995 and 2015, through spatial analysis. The results show a logistics sprawl indicator (average change in the standard distance to the center of gravity) of 1.2 km (17.8 km in 1995 and 19 km in 2015). In addition, we explored the spatial correlation between socioeconomic data and the location of warehouses. In 2015, 80% of warehouses were located in the high-income area. Additionally, most of the warehouses were located within a two-kilometer buffer from the axis of the road and in a five-kilometer buffer from the railroad. Finally, we defined the service areas of the warehouses considering a maximum distance through the network of 5, 10, and 15 km. In 2015, the 15-km service area had a coverage of 89% of the population in the study area.
Highlights
Introduction and BackgroundThe location of warehouses can generate a competitive advantage in urban goods distribution [1], since it directly impacts the flow of cargo in cities, and given that warehouses are the origin or destination of a great deal of logistics activities [2]
In 1995, there were 95 logistics facilities classified as warehouses, located in 16 cities of the BHMAMB Table
The adaptation of the methodology to analyze logistics sprawl in the Brazilian context encourages the development of new studies on the subject in Brazil, making possible future comparisons and the joint discussion of solutions for the distribution of urban goods in a regional context
Summary
The location of warehouses can generate a competitive advantage in urban goods distribution [1], since it directly impacts the flow of cargo in cities, and given that warehouses are the origin or destination of a great deal of logistics activities [2]. An analysis of logistics sprawl was proposed by Dablanc and Rakotonarivo [4] to understand the impact of the location of warehouses on urban freight transport. These authors defined the logistics sprawl phenomenon as the movement of warehousing sites from urban centers to peripheral areas of a metropolitan region. Urban Sci. 2018, 2, 43; doi:10.3390/urbansci2020043 www.mdpi.com/journal/urbansci
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