Sustainable Urban Freight Distribution: The Case of Piraeus Port-City

Abstract

In port cities, there are often severe transport and urban freight mobility issues associated with the port operations since ports and their surrounding urban areas are struggling with the ever-increasing flow of trucks, accommodating both through and intra-city cargo movement. This paper aims to present how urban freight distribution measures can support the goals of sustainable development even in cities with limited previous experience in energy efficiency and environmental friendly solutions. The successful case of the Piraeus port-city is presented and findings derived from a survey about urban delivery in the city center are provided. The study describes how efforts from different stakeholders should be coordinated to support urban freight distribution in the context of an action plan that promotes sustainable development in the city. Results from Piraeus case are useful for other comparable port-cities in Europe experiencing a rapid growth in passengers and freight volumes required to be handled, imposing significant negative externalities to the urban area.