Deliveries In Urban Areas Research Articles

Protective Effects of Maternal Education against Low Birth Weight Deliveries: Blacks' Diminished Returns.

Racial and economic disparities in low birth weight (LBW) deliveries is among the most well-established differences between Blacks and Whites. As LBW is an established risk factor for chronic diseases such as asthma and diabetes, it is particularly important to understand drivers of racial and economic disparities in LBW deliveries in urban areas. Built on the Minorities' Diminished Returns framework, which argues that educational attainment generates fewer positive health outcomes for Black than White Americans, we conducted this study with three aims: 1) to test the association between mothers' educational attainment and LBW of babies born in urban areas, 2) to compare Blacks and Whites for the effect of mothers' educational attainment on LBW, and 3) to test whether LBW is predictive of future chronic diseases 15 years later. Data came from the Fragile Families and Child Well-being / included a random sample of births in cities larger than 200,000 population. For the aims 1 and 2, we analyzed data of 2,922 births to Black (n = 2,146) or White (n = 776) mothers. For aim 3, we analyzed data of a subsample of 1,604 Black or White newborns who were followed to age 15. The presence or absence of chronic diseases was determined at age 15. Logistic regression was used for data analysis. Maternal educational attainment was inversely associated with LBW overall. We, however, found a significant interaction between maternal educational attainment and race, suggesting that the inverse association between maternal education and LBW is weaker for Black than White babies. At the same time, LBW increased the odds of chronic disease 15 years later. Diminished returns of maternal educational attainment contribute to racial disparities in LBW, which in turn contributes to future racial inequalities in chronic diseases in urban settings. That is, smaller protective effects of maternal education on reducing LBW for Black than White children contribute to the high prevalence of chronic diseases among adolescents in urban settings. Health disparities are not just due to racial differences in socioeconomic status but also diminishing returns of socioeconomic status indicators such as education for racial and ethnic minorities. Research should study contextual factors that reduce Blacks' ability to translate their human capital to health outcomes in urban settings.

Optimised solutions to the last-mile delivery problem in London using a combination of walking and driving

Inspired by actual parcel delivery operations in London, this paper describes a two-echelon distribution system that combines the use of driving and walking as part of last-mile deliveries in urban areas for a single driver. The paper presents an optimisation model that explicitly treats and integrates the driving and walking elements, and describes a branch-and-cut algorithm that uses new valid inequalities specifically tailored for the problem at hand. Computational results based on real instances obtained from a courier operating in London are presented to show the performance of the algorithm.

Transport carriers’ cooperation on the last-mile delivery in urban areas

A sharing logistics platform for less-than-truckloads could increase efficiency in city pickup and last-mile deliveries under time window constraints by pairing (matching) truck bidders and last-mile logistics requesters. The platform will propose new tours based on localization data, travel time and time-window constraints; it operates a matching algorithm to search for stable truck-sharing deals aiming to reduce the number of trucks in use as well as their operational costs. These sharing deals also reduce traveling distances and gas emissions. We simulate a model to understand the effects of fixed costs and variable costs in the operations, we account for reductions, and we provide some managerial insights. Additionally, we perform sensitivity analysis to consider the effect of delivery time windows’ relaxation and additional travel distance constraints to evaluate the proposed solutions under practical conditions.

Scope of Using Autonomous Trucks and Lorries for Parcel Deliveries in Urban Settings

Courier, express, and parcel (CEP) services represent one of the most challenging and dynamic sectors of the logistics industry. Companies of this sector must solve several challenges to keep up with the rapid changes in the market. In this context, the introduction of autonomous delivery using self-driving trucks might be an appropriate solution to overcome the problems that the industry is facing today. This paper investigates if the introduction of autonomous trucks would be feasible for deliveries in urban areas from the experts’ point of view. Furthermore, the potential advantages of such autonomous vehicles were highlighted and compared to traditional delivery methods. At the same time, barriers that could slow down or hinder such an implementation were also discovered by conducting semi-structured interviews with experts from the field. The results show that CEP companies are interested in innovative logistics solutions such as autonomous vans, especially when it comes to business-to-consumer (B2C) activities. Most of the experts acknowledge the benefits that self-driving vans could bring once on the market. Despite that, there are still some difficulties that need to be solved before actual implementation. If this type of vehicle will become the sector’s disruptor is yet to be seen.

Shortening the Last Mile in Urban Areas: Optimizing a Smart Logistics Concept for E-Grocery Operations

Urbanization, the corresponding road traffic, and increasing e-grocery markets require efficient and at the same time eco-friendly transport solutions. In contrast to traditional food procurement at local grocery stores, e-grocery, i.e., online ordered goods, are transported directly to end customers. We develop and discuss an optimization approach to assist the planning of e-grocery deliveries in smart cities introducing a new last mile concept for the urban food supply chain. To supply city dwellers with their ordered products, a network of refrigerated grocery lockers is optimized to temporarily store the corresponding goods within urban areas. Customers either collect their orders by themselves or the products are delivered with electric cargo bicycles (ECBs). We propose a multi-echelon optimization model that minimizes the overall costs while consecutively determining optimal grocery locker locations, van routes from a depot to opened lockers, and ECB routes from lockers to customers. With our approach, we present an advanced concept for grocery deliveries in urban areas to shorten last mile distances, enhancing sustainable transportation by avoiding road traffic and emissions. Therefore, the concept is described as a smart transport system.

Digital connectivity in an innovative joint distribution system with real-time demand update

A joint distribution system based on digital connectivity to share logistics resources constitutes an innovative method of intelligent logistics. In general, O2O deliverymen are subjected to delivery capacity imbalances in different hours—peak hours and off-peak hours in particular—throughout the day. To solve the insufficient capacity problem in peak hours and the idle capacity problem in off-peak hours of O2O deliverymen, this paper introduces an innovative digital connectivity enabled B2C and O2O joint distribution system. In this system, all pickup and delivery nodes of both B2C and O2O orders are interconnected through the Physical Internet. In response to the dynamic arrivals of O2O orders, this paper develops a center dispatching system to collect and schedule the real-time logistics information via digital connectivity. An improved savings algorithm is proposed to support the real-time routing optimization of deliverymen. By making a comparative analysis with the traditional separate distribution mode, this paper proves the effectiveness of the joint distribution system. Results show that it outputs better optimization with larger order sizes, the same B2C and O2O order proportions as well as longer lengths of O2O time window. With the benefit of the digital connectivity, the joint distribution system contributes to providing real-time logistics services with high efficiency and reducing carbon emissions to realize sustainability. The prospect of this system exhibits the potential for use in richly varied delivery services, most notably meal delivery in urban areas.

Methodology of costs assessment for customer transportation service of small perishable cargoes

Application of the offered methodology of the costs assessment of customer service for transportation of small perishable cargoes in urban areas makes it possible to choose the rational brand and cargo capacity of the truck, depending on the number of delivery locations in conditions with constantly changing demands for transportation services. The developed mathematical and imitation models allow simulating the process of small perishable cargoes delivery in urban areas at rendering transportation service to small cargo customers, including the service of retail chain shops, hotel and restaurant businesses. These models allow for quickly estimating the specific expenses for perishable cargoes delivery depending on price values and technological parameters. The methodology is of interest for practical use for PL-forwarders at the assessment of possible transport costs in conditions of the constantly changing demand for transport services, as well as for customers (malls, restaurants, hotels, mini-markets) of small perishable cargoes.

Methodology of costs assessment for customer transportation service of small perishable cargoes

Application of the offered methodology of the costs assessment of customer service for transportation of small perishable cargoes in urban areas makes it possible to choose the rational brand and cargo capacity of the truck, depending on the number of delivery locations in conditions with constantly changing demands for transportation services. The developed mathematical and imitation models allow simulating the process of small perishable cargoes delivery in urban areas at rendering transportation service to small cargo customers, including the service of retail chain shops, hotel and restaurant businesses. These models allow for quickly estimating the specific expenses for perishable cargoes delivery depending on price values and technological parameters. The methodology is of interest for practical use for PL-forwarders at the assessment of possible transport costs in conditions of the constantly changing demand for transport services, as well as for customers (malls, restaurants, hotels, mini-markets) of small perishable cargoes.

Transcultural Health Practices of Emergency Nurses Working With Indigenous Peoples: A Descriptive Study

IntroductionFor decades, health inequalities have persisted among Indigenous peoples. As the Indigenous population is growing in the cities, health care delivery in urban areas can be challenging. Emergency nurses are often the first contact in the health system, and they play a key role in the patient’s experience. This study aims to describe the transcultural health practices of Canadian emergency nurses working with Indigenous peoples. MethodsA descriptive study was conducted among 30 emergency nurses. ResultsApproximately 90% of the nurses who participated in the study had not received specific training about Indigenous health. The most common type of culturally appropriate nursing care was clinical examination (mean = 7.22), and sexuality care was the least frequent (mean = 5.47). The nurses were less confident in their ability to interview Indigenous peoples about the importance of home remedies and folk medicine (mean = 5.38). DiscussionIn summary, emergency nurses had more confidence in their ability to provide technical care than in their knowledge regarding the cultural aspects of providing care. As Indigenous populations face challenges regarding access to health care, specific interventions should be implemented to support better-quality cultural care from emergency nurses.

Evaluating different distance metrics for calculating distances of last mile deliveries in urban areas for integration into supply chain simulation

ABSTRACTThis paper describes how last mile deliveries can be considered in a supply chain simulation using distance metrics. A brief overview of urban morphologies and their characteristics will be presented, with a focus on traffic-relevant characteristics. Also, different distance metrics are investigated with respect to their suitability for urban logistics. After a short characterisation, common distance metrics will be applied and compared to the presented urban morphologies, taking into account their interrelationships, properties and peculiarities by means of example cases. The aim here is to determine whether existing approximations for supply chain simulation models are sufficient, even against the background of changing urban design forms, or whether adjustments need to be made. Subsequently, it will be explained how the findings gained for the improved simulation of urban distribution networks can be integrated into simulation tools. The authors will propose a distance metric and name a rescaling factor that can be applied independently of the cityscape.

Parcel delivery in urban areas: Opportunities and threats for the mix of traditional and green business models

In recent years, the role of freight transportation and parcel delivery in urban areas has increased, supporting the economic and social development of cities. At the same time, the industry is affected by various issues, inefficiencies, and externalities, particularly in the last-mile segment. As such, there is an emerging awareness of a need to improve urban mobility and transportation, making them more sustainable and competitive by mixing traditional and emerging technologies, such as cargo bikes, autonomous vehicles, and drones. In contrast, the complexity of the overall system, characterized by multiple actors with conflicting goals, requires a strategy that harmonizes these actors’ business and operational models. This study contributes in this direction along three axes. First, it defines the main actors involved in urban parcel delivery, and then analyzes their business models and the interactions between them. Second, it investigates the integration of traditional and green logistics (mainly cycle-logistics), from both business and operational perspectives, in order to identify synergies, conflicts, and the operational and economic consequences of adopting green vehicles. Third, it introduces a simulation-optimization decision support system tool capable of assessing mixed-fleet policies for the management of parcel delivery in urban areas. Finally, the decision support system is tested using real data of the city of Turin.

Electric vehicles in the last mile of urban freight transportation: A sustainability assessment of postal deliveries in Rio de Janeiro-Brazil

The growth of urban population and the rise of e-commerce activities increase the complexity of the last-mile of parcel deliveries and its impacts to the environment and quality of life. Despite the relevance, emerging countries have difficult to establish and implement alternatives to the conventional scope of fossil-based operations. This paper proposes a method to assess alternative strategies for the last-mile of parcel deliveries, in terms of social, environmental, and economic impacts and presents an application to assess the distribution strategy of a postal company located in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Moreover, we developed a systematic literature review to develop realistic alternatives to the baseline scenario, which operates with diesel propelled light duty vehicles. Literature points to the reduction of the dimensions of vehicles, as well as to the migration of the propulsion source to electric energy, as sustainable alternatives for last mile deliveries in urban areas. For that reason, we opted to evaluate the use of electric vehicles of smaller dimensions, tricycle and LDV, in the last mile of parcel deliveries, assessing two alternative scenarios: one with the use of electric LDV type BEV; and the other with electric tricycles. Results indicated that the use electric tricycle is a more feasible alternative regarding the economic, environmental and social aspects, demanding no public incentives.

Construction site deliveries in urban areas, based on the example of Szczecin

Abstract Implementation of construction projects is of key importance for contemporary urban development. However, enterprises involved in the project encounter problems of various kinds. One of them is construction supply chain functioning. Construction site deliveries being part of construction supply chains constitute a weakness due to restrictions imposed by city authorities with regard to the transport policy and their impact on the urban traffic organisation. This article presents an analysis of solutions applied in construction site deliveries within the area of the city of Szczecin, and attempts at diagnosing the major problems in that regard.

DIFFERENT URBAN CONSOLIDATION CENTRE SCENARIOS: IMPACT ON EXTERNAL COSTS OF LAST-MILE DELIVERIES

The identification and mitigation of negative externalities from goods deliveries in urban areas are important aspects of sustainable urban development. Previous studies have shown that urban freight consolidation increases the load factor of Delivery Vehicles (DVs), reducing the vehicle-kilometres driven and thus reducing negative freight transport externalities in urban areas. The objective of this paper is to explore the possible impact of the number of Urban Consolidation Centres (UCCs) on the external costs of last-mile deliveries in freight transport and to determine the possible contribution of such consolidation scenarios to external cost mitigation. Therefore, several consolidation scenarios are considered assuming different numbers of UCCs in operation. A new consolidation scheme is proposed with more than one UCC to serve a given city area. Input data are obtained from a roadside questionnaire survey with a sample of 1617 drivers at 9 access roads to an urban area as part of the NOvi Sad TRAnsport Model (NOSTRAM) study. Externalities are calculated using the IMPACT methodology and discussed for different urban freight consolidation options. The best option is identified, and the results indicate that properly planned, organised and managed urban freight consolidation can significantly reduce transport externalities. The main research results showed that all of the proposed consolidation options increase the total driving distance in an urban area. However, some consolidation options significantly reduce the driving distance of less manageable vehicles in last-mile deliveries (long-haul heavy- and light-duty vehicles). Consequently, the external costs ranged from 2108.3 to 5420.5 EUR for the consolidation option, whereas the current state externalities are 2791.4 EUR. Thus, more small UCCs may provide better results than the central centre even in medium-sized cities.

Temporal Evolution of Green Stormwater Infrastructure Strategies in Three US Cities

Over the last several decades, interest in green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) has rapidly increased, particularly given its potential to provide stormwater management in conjunction with other ecosystem services and co-benefits such as urban heat island mitigation or habitat provision. Here we explore the implementation of GSI in three US cities – Baltimore (Maryland), Phoenix (Arizona), and Portland (Oregon). We examine the trends in GSI construction over several decades, highlighting changes in implementation rates and GSI types with concurrent regulatory and economic changes. Additionally, we discuss the implications of these GSI portfolios for ecosystem service delivery in urban areas. Results indicate that Portland’s quantity of GSI is approximately ten times greater than the quantity of GSI in Phoenix or Baltimore. However, Baltimore has the most diverse portfolio of GSI types. In Phoenix, regional stormwater policies focused on flood control have led to retention basins being the dominant GSI type for decades. In contrast, Portland and Baltimore both have had substantial changes in their GSI portfolios over time, with transitions from detention or retention basins and underground facilities towards filters, infiltration facilities, and swales. These changes favor increased water quality function as well as provision of other ecosystem services. Additionally, we find evidence that each city followed a different GSI implementation pathway, with Portland’s combined sewer overflow program influencing initial development of GSI, while state legislation and regional water quality pressures played a major role in Baltimore’s GSI development. By studying the evolution of GSI in these different cities, we can see the variability in stormwater management trajectories and how they manifest in different suites of benefits. We hope that continued research of GSI implementation and performance will identify opportunities for future improvement of these infrastructures.

A Review of Last Mile Logistics Innovations in an Externalities Cost Reduction Vision

In this paper, a review of the recent scientific literature contributions on innovative strategies for last mile logistics, focusing on externalities cost reduction, is presented. Transport is causing problems in urban areas, in particular in freight transport: modern cities need solutions to reduce externalities costs such as congestion, pollution and others, which have increased in the last few years, especially due to the growth of goods delivery. Online sales and globalization lead to new trends in freight transport, and moreover, a larger quantity of goods is expected to be delivered in the next future. In this context, most of the delivered goods end up in the city centers. Last mile logistics is the least efficient stage of the supply chain and comprises up to 28% of the total delivery cost. Therefore, the improvement of last mile logistics and a significant externalities reduction are very important challenges for researchers. New technologies and transport means, innovative techniques and organizational strategies allow handling in a more effective way the last mile delivery in urban areas. Based on the Systematic Literature Review (SLR) method, recent papers that significantly contributed, with original proposals, to the reduction of externalities in urban logistics are identified and analyzed in this work. Furthermore, a classification of the papers dealing with the externality reduction problem is presented. It is consistent with a general formulation proposed to evaluate external costs in urban area. The innovative contributions are classified into five main categories: innovative vehicles, proximity stations or points, collaborative and cooperative urban logistics, optimization of transport management and routing, innovations in public policies and infrastructures. The new paradigm of smart logistics is based on the combination of these concepts and on the proposed innovations.

Tackling Fragmented Last Mile Deliveries to Nanostores by Utilizing Spare Transportation Capacity—A Simulation Study

Last mile deliveries in urban areas cause a disproportionate unsustainable impact, while it is also the most expensive part of the supply chain. This is particularly true for freight flows that are characterized by fragmentation. Logistically, this becomes apparent in vehicles that are driving around with a low vehicle fill rate, leading to the unnecessary presence of freight vehicles in our cities. This study focuses on the operational feasibility of utilizing the spare transportation capacity of a service-driven company as a potential solution to supply small independent retailers, or nanostores. The aim is to reduce inefficient vehicle movement. Based on a real-life implementation, we use SYnchronization Model for Belgian Inland Transport (SYMBIT), an agent-based model, to simulate various bundling scenarios. Results show the total vehicle kilometers and lead times to supply nanostores for the service-driven company to serve its customers. There is a potential to utilize spare capacity to supply nanostores while maintaining a decent service level. The number of vehicle kilometers driven highly depends on the location of the distribution center where the service-driven company operates. Based on these results, the conditions that have to be met to replicate this solution in other urban areas are discussed.

Comparison of various urban distribution systems supporting e-commerce. Point-to-point vs collection-point-based deliveries

Abstract E-commerce is a sector in continual growth in all countries and, in particular, the increase in B2C (Business to Consumer) e-commerce market has important effects on last-mile deliveries in city areas. The delivery of a parcel to a consumer’s address involves not only high costs for both couriers (extended car routes) and consumers (high prices) and also greater environmental pollution. The growing demand for deliveries in urban areas involves increases in traffic and congestion problems and, consequently, environmental issues. In recent years, many studies have focused on alternative measures to reduce the negative aspects and impact of last-mile deliveries. Good practice to rationalize last-mile delivery should involve the use of various systems, such as reception boxes, delivery boxes, controlled access systems, collection points and lockers. This paper compares two alternative options to home delivery. In particular, it makes comparisons between point-to-point and lockers, states the pro and cons of both, and defines the best positions to locate lockers to reduce consumers’ deviations. The proposed method is applied to a real case: the Italian municipality of Dolo (near Venice).

Investigating last food mile deliveries: A case study approach to identify needs of food delivery demand

Drawing on the results of a survey carried out in Cagliari (Italy), the paper provides an analysis of the characteristics of food deliveries in urban areas aimed at understanding the needs and expectations of receivers of last mile deliveries of fresh products. In fact, exploring the needs of potential users - who are directly responsible for the success of the scheme - and the characteristics of logistics flows they generate/attract in the city centre is a necessary prerequisite for implementing city logistics measures. The study considers independent retailers within the hotel, restaurants and catering (Ho.Re.Ca.) sector. Based on the delivery characteristics, a classification of commercial activities related to the food chain is provided. The analysis has been developed by means of Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) and Cluster analysis. The suitability of city logistics measures to the last food mile is also discussed.

Sustainable Vehicles-Based Alternatives in Last Mile Distribution of Urban Freight Transport: A Systematic Literature Review

The advent of new technologies in last mile deliveries is about to cause a disruption in the traditional business model applied in urban cargo transportation, thus presenting innumerous research opportunities in this field of knowledge. In this context, identifying new operation models and vehicles that could be applied for last mile deliveries in urban areas becomes crucial. Therefore, this paper aims to identify, through a systematic literature review, the main types of vehicles addressed in the literature that could be used in the last mile of urban freight distribution in order to increase the sustainability of this type of operation. The results indicate a trend for the implementation of smaller and lighter vehicles for last mile deliveries in urban areas: 47% of the studies suggest, among other alternatives, the use of bicycles and tricycles; while 53% of the articles support the use of light commercial vehicles. Another trend observed in this type of distribution, indicated in 64% of the studies, is the shift from conventional (fossil fuels) to alternative sources of energy (electricity).