Field Of Urban Logistics Research Articles

Hunting for treasure: a systematic literature review on urban logistics and e-commerce data

ABSTRACT Online retail channels increasingly shape consumers’ purchase behaviour: we access a diversity of product types through web-shops; employ both smartphones and digital screens in stores; navigate the retail space by browsing online; and order pantry items, fresh groceries as well as prepared foods to be delivered at our doorsteps. The profound impact of online retail on mobility in cities, where the concentration of consumers resides, is, therefore, an extensively investigated and growing topic of interest in research. In the field of urban logistics, studies that evaluate the various impacts of e-commerce or propose efficiency or sustainability-enhancing applications are plentiful. Regardless, the general lack of solid urban e-commerce logistics data is supported widely. In this study, we systematically review the literature to identify and compare the types of e-commerce data that are currently known, employed and disclosed in urban logistics research as well as the data sources that provide access to them. Within the set of identified data, knowledge concentrates on consumer preferences and number of deliveries related to e-commerce. However, our findings confirm the general data paucity, specifically on delivery trip-related information such as deliveries per trip, number of delivery rounds and vehicle specificities. Discrepancies are found in methodologies to collect and compile data, as well as data units used (e.g., orders, parcels, deliveries) that cause large variations in information possibly diverging from reality. The study contributes to current literature and practice by compiling and analysing currently available data on urban e-commerce logistics and by presenting recommendations and best practices for future enhancements in this research field. Based on the systematic literature review, we propose a common data agenda for urban e-commerce logistics research, focused on addressing data gaps and topics that are under-developed and un-developed; pursuing data collection standardisation; disclosing data collection methodologies and sources; and specifying temporal and spatial information as well as units of data. Some data methodologies and sources can be recommended for future research: using interviews to collect quantitative data; collaborating with sector organisations; exploring open maps; employing existing household and time use surveys; and leveraging technological opportunities and new ways of collecting data.

A modeling and micro-simulation approach to estimate the location, number and size of loading/unloading bays: A case study in the city of Querétaro, Mexico

Loading/unloading operations on streets are crucial to satisfy the daily delivery needs of goods in a city. The current approaches for designing the needed infrastructure for such operations are not comprehensive. It is the purpose of this paper to describe the basis and the use of an integral methodology for defining better loading/unloading bays in terms of location, capacity and number. The methodology is used in a congested Mexican medium size city: Queretaro. The procedure consists of several steps that start with the modeling of the freight generation in order to build scenarios under micro-simulation techniques, thus creating a potential solution under the consideration of such infrastructure as service areas. Having as inputs the number of attracted local freight trips; the commercial activity needs; the types of vehicles, and the geometry of the streets, the output from such procedure consists of a proposal for the ideal of such infrastructure in terms of its location, size and number. The use of such methodology could become a valuable tool for planners and practitioners in the field of urban logistics, to better manage the delivery of goods and the urban space in congested areas, further mitigating the nuisances due to urban freight.

Evaluation of selected practices in the field of urban logistics in Poland

Dynamic growth of automotive indicator and increasing level of freight being carried in the Polish cities are causing serious transport problems. Migration to the cities is a trend observed still in Poland that is expected to continue. Bottlenecks, delivery obstacles, congestion, traffic jams and air pollutions require prompt organizational and technological intervention. The article starts a discussion about the condition of the urban logistics in Poland, comparing various models from the local government authorities point of view and inhabitants. The author outlines the barriers and obstacles in the planning and implementing of the modern urban logistical solutions. The majority of municipal and local government authorities, despite the declared enthusiasm for the smart city concept, prefer traditional infrastructure investments, instead of joint and interdisciplinary planning of the combined organizational and technological solutions tailored to the needs of a specific city. There is an urgent need to introduce regulations limiting freight traffic in the Polish cities, road tolls depending on emissivity, payloads, parking infrastructure. There should be rules planned determining time windows in the urban transport, organizing in-city consolidation centers, etc. The paper includes recommendations for creating Urban Vehicle Access Regulation Schemes for the Polish cities. The article includes also the findings and recommendation for the Polish cities in the field of urban logistics. The author emphasizes, however, that there is still a lack of long-term investment plans in the field of logistics and freight transport in so-called smart cities. The paper demonstrates that the efficiency of the functioning of Po-land’s urban logistics network does not necessarily imply cost-intensive infrastructural development. The optimization of logistics activities should be brought about in urbanized areas primarily based on the organisational changes in the transportation system, customs, habits and behavioral patterns of its users as well as the altered functions of selected. Such an approach is the closest to the views expressed by the inhabitants; however, it all too often proves contradictory to the interests of the other stakeholders of the system. Any changes to the city’s transport layouts or systems, or mobility policies (as a broader concept), call for a broad public contribution when it comes to consulting projects and designing the improvements. Organisational and financial support is likewise indispensable, along with the development of an incentives system. The author also pointed out a need to monitor comprehensively the solutions in the field of urban logistics and urban freight transport of the Polish cities using socio-economic analysis tools. The selected methods of evaluating the urban logistics solutions, incl. comparative best practices analysis, have been discussed.

Information system for city logistics. The case of Poland

Abstract According to the European Commission (2007), in the cities particular emphasis should be placed on the implementation of actions that could reduce greenhouse gas emissions, noise and other pollutions. The implementation of these objectives requires access to much up-to-date information including the type and size of the flow of goods, passenger car traffic in the city, the number of accidents caused by drivers of trucks and cars, etc. Access to current data can greatly support local authorities in making the right decisions in the field of urban logistics (Malecki et al., 2014). Unfortunately, in most Polish cities such information is not collected or is collected irregularly. Consequently, in many cities decisions concerning the coordination of the flow of cargo and people in the city are made intuitively rather than based on actual data. In this paper the authors have set two - theoretical and empirical - objectives. The theoretical purpose concerns the authorial concept of a simplified city logistics information system. The empirical objective includes an analysis of the current state of logistics information systems in the selected cities and identification of the activities of Polish local governments in collecting and analysing data in the field of people and goods movement within the city. In order to identify the relationships between the extent of information collection; the size of the research city; and the organisation of the task related to the passenger and freight transport, the correspondence analysis was used.

City logistics, urban goods distribution and last mile delivery and collection

Supply chains, logistics and freight have been facing increasingly complex challenges posed by transitions in economic structures, urbanization, city design and transport systems, as well as by the externalities associated with logistics activities in urban areas. This has driven a great deal of research recently. Yet, there are no sufficient contributions clarifying the current state of thought in this field. This article critically reviews the literature highlighting current approaches in the field. The objective of the article is threefold. First, to provide a framework with geographical and functional elements of urban logistics. Second, to identify the scope of the literature, vested into a typology. And third, to define the terms that may embrace the various analytical interests of the urban logistics field, namely city logistics, urban goods distribution and last mile logistics. The aim is to contribute to organize the current and future thought in the field of urban logistics.

Research in urban logistics: a systematic literature review

Purpose The last decades have witnessed an increased interest in urban logistics originating from both the research and the practitioners’ communities. Sustainable freight transports today are on the political, social and technological agenda of many actors operating in urban contexts. Due to the extent of the covered areas and the continuous progress in many fields, the resulting body of research on urban logistics appears quite fragmented. From an engineering management perspective, the purpose of this paper is to present a systematic literature review (SLR) that aims to consolidate the knowledge on urban logistics, analyse the development of the discipline, and provide future research directions. Design/methodology/approach The paper discusses the main evidence emerging from a SLR on urban logistics. The corpus resulting from the SLR has been used to perform a citation network analysis and a main path analysis that together underpin the identification of the most investigated topics and methodologies in the field. Findings Through the analysis of a corpus of 104 articles, the most important research contributions on urban logistics that represent the structural backbone in the development of the research over time in the field are detected. Based on these findings, this work identifies and discusses three areas of potential interest for future research. Originality/value This paper presents an SLR related to a research area in which the literature is extremely fragmented. The results provide insights about the research path, current trends and future research directions in the field of urban logistics.

Exploring urban institutional pressures on logistics service providers

Purpose– As global populations become increasingly urbanized and urban areas grow in density and complexity, many firms seeking to operate in these areas face significant new challenges. The purpose of this paper is to identify the approaches utilized by urban logistics service providers to overcome the issues resulting from urban density and complexity. The paper also identifies potential directions for future research based on the research findings.Design/methodology/approach– The study followed a grounded theory approach (Corbin and Strauss, 2008) to uncover the approaches utilized by logistics service providers to adapt to urban environments.Findings– The urban environment exerts certain coercive and mimetic pressures on logistics service providers. To overcome these pressures, urban logistics service providers seek to manage space, resources, and legitimacy in the urban environment.Research limitations/implications– This research followed an inductive approach, and therefore, further empirical research is required to ensure statistical generalizability. Additionally, all research participants are currently employed in the USA, and so further research at the international level should be conducted.Practical implications– The framework presented will enable firms seeking to enter the urban market to more quickly adapt to the specific pressures of the urban ecology.Originality/value– While literature from several academic disciplines outline problems and solutions specific to urban areas, little qualitative, inductive research has been conducted in the field of urban logistics. The current research serves as a starting point for further urban logistics research.

Polis – the Experience of the Tuscan Innovation Cluster in the Field of Sustainable Mobility

Tuscany Region, in order to promote innovation and technology transfer according to the communication n° 323/2006 of the EU commission, constituted twelve clusters since July of 2011 within which POLIS – Pole of innovation on the technologies for the sustainable city – is the one focused on:•Mobility, flow management and organization of transport processes.•Cultural heritage, conservation, management and fruition.•Sustainable construction, new building materials, energy consumption reduction systems.Foundation for Research and Innovation (proponent and key-manager partner of POLIS) is highly active in the field of urban logistics, as a key sector where innovative solutions and policies could significantly ease traffic impacts and environmental implications.Research and technological innovation can play a significant role in the improvement of competitiveness of the sector, for example by means of interventions on:•Traffic and logistic flows reorganization and optimizing daily supplies to urban areas.•Spreading of networks of supply for low-emission vehicles and fleets.•Systems and services for mobile information, organization and integration of public transport services, land use planning and traffic management (infomobility).POLIS, born as grouping of 200 Tuscan SMEs, research centers, start-ups and associations, is now made of more than 600 partners (52% of them belonging to mobility sector) and it represents an Italian good practice, presently mentoring the start-up of other clusters in Spain, Portugal and Romania within the “Dorothy” (Development Of RegiOnal clusTers for researcH and implementation of environmental friendlY urban logistics) project, funded under the 7th framework Programme – Regions of Knowledge.