Logistics Sprawl Research Articles

Locations of LTL-logistics service providers as urban consolidation centers – the Dusseldorf case and its possible transferability

ABSTRACT Proximity logistics represent a counter movement to logistics sprawl – the return of logistics to urban areas. In the case presented, a logistics service provider in the groupage and less-than-truckload (LTL) segment runs an urban consolidation center (UCC), offers receiver-led consolidation and additional service like stockholding to inner-city businesses in the city of Dusseldorf. The case shows that for the development of a UCC or a proximity logistics facility to succeed, no expensive space is necessarily required in immediate inner-city areas. The transfer to other locations of logistics service providers of the same segment shows that these could serve as possible locations for UCC in terms of cargo-bike relevant distances. We, therefore, conclude that the relevant locations of logistics infrastructure like ports and centrally located logistics facilities should be seen as crucial for the transformation to sustainable freight transport and its initiation by municipal governments.

Characterizing last-mile freight transportation using mobile phone data: The case of Santiago, Chile

Understanding the mobility of surface freight transportation is relevant in urban planning and for developing public policies. Literature shows that most previous efforts on this topic rely on surveys and limited data. In contrast to other works, in this paper, we present an innovative methodology for characterizing last-mile freight transportation that uses a novel and copious data source: mobile phone data, which provides a broader scope. Our methodology involves calibrating supervised machine-learning models that allow us to link cell phones with truck drivers. In this endeavor, we construct several input variables that track mobile phone’s daily movement patterns, including traveled distances, interactions with highway networks, and land use variables. We test our approach by conducting a case study in Santiago, Chile, for which we analyze mobility patterns and logistics indicators disaggregated by day, hour, and zoning. For this case, we show that all supervised models performed well regarding AUC, which can be attributed to the high granularity and handling of the data. However, we chose to use NGBoost in all subsequent experiments, as it provided slightly better results on our validation data. Our work has several implications for practice. For instance, our results can support decision-makers and policymakers in identifying critical areas where urban logistics centers and transportation interventions are needed. Finally, several research lines stem from our work, which include assessing the impact of incorporating geospatial information and the measurement of logistics sprawl over time.

E-commerce and logistics sprawl: A spatial exploration of last-mile logistics platforms

The rise of e-commerce helped fuel consumer appetite for quick home deliveries. One consequence has been the placing of some logistics facilities in proximity to denser consumer markets. The trend departs from prevailing discussion on “logistics sprawl,” or the proliferation of warehousing into the urban periphery. This study spatially and statistically explores the facility- and region-level dimensions that characterize the centrality of e-commerce logistics platforms. Analyzing 910 operational Amazon logistics platforms in 89 U.S. metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) between 2013 and 2021, this study estimates temporal changes in distances to relative, population centroids and population-weighted market densities. Results reveal that although some platforms serving last-mile deliveries locate closer to consumers than upstream distribution platforms to better fulfill time-demands, centrality varies due to facility operating characteristics, market size, and when the platform opened.

Integrating logistics into urban planning: best practices from Paris and Rotterdam

ABSTRACT Cities all over the world are rethinking their mobility policies in light of environmental and quality of life objectives. As space is one of cities’ scarcest resources, mobility’s spatial footprint is increasingly scrutinized as externality to mitigate. Similar to passenger transport, goods transport is envisioned to shift towards efficient and zero emission mobilities. To achieve an urban logistics system that eliminates inefficiencies and fossil fuels, the logistics sector requires space to unload, cross-dock, consolidate and stock goods closer to their destinations. Such a ‘proximity logistics’ is however at odds with ‘logistics sprawl’, the historic outward migration pattern of logistics facilities. With policies and planning, cities can support the (re)integration of logistics facilities in urban areas to facilitate and enable the shift to an efficient urban logistics system. Logistics still being a largely neglected policy subject in many cities, knowledge on how to approach this (re)integration is hardly available. Therefore, we compare two pioneering cities: Rotterdam and Paris. Both cities have an established track record in advancing urban logistics policies and are spearheading the practice of planning for logistics. Based on interviews and policy analyses, we develop best practices on how to address the integration of urban logistics facilities for cities.

Integrating spatial statistics and machine learning to identify relationships between e-commerce and distribution facilities in Texas, US

This paper proposes a novel analytical framework that integrates spatial statistics and machine learning techniques to identify relationships between e-commerce and distribution facilities. The framework includes centrographic analysis, global and local spatial association measurements, and a recently popularized interpretable machine learning approach – gradient boosting decision trees (GBDT) – to analyze warehousing location choices. We apply this framework to ZIP Codes Business Patterns data from 2003 to 2016 in three large metropolitan areas in Texas, US (i.e., Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, and Houston). The thematic maps reveal the spatial clustering of areas with higher e-commerce activity but lower logistics facility coverage. It is worth noting that we do not observe logistics sprawl in the study region. The GBDT results show that industrial activities and transportation network accessibility are key factors influencing warehousing location choices. We also find that the relationship between warehouses and e-commerce establishments is weaker in Houston, a major maritime gateway for goods entering and leaving, as compared to Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin. Implications for local freight transportation planners and decision-makers are discussed.

Locational factors of logistics platforms in the era of e-commerce: a preliminary assessment from the Spanish case

Urban and logistics sprawl have been widely reported in the last decades, revealing major changes in land use patterns. The importance of being in central locations has notoriously evolved. Besides, the rise of e-commerce is changing the way distribution centres used to be. Warehouses have evolved into e-fulfilment centres, changing their inner layout but also their preferred location. With that in mind, our paper explores the locational factors of logistics platforms in Spain. With a database of about 4,500 facilities, we correlate the number of logistics platforms in each municipality with the most influential locational factors: transport infrastructure, demographic characteristics, availability of land, land taxes, level of education, and the administrative status. The results reinforce the importance of transport infrastructure and the relative location regarding urban metropolises.

Greening urban logistics: Introducing a method to evaluate optimised decoupling hub locations

Sustainable urban logistics has become challenging over the course of the last decades due to logistics sprawl and increased demands of goods in urban areas. To overcome this problem, a fine-grained network of decoupling hubs, separating suppliers and customers in a spacial and timely manner, are needed. The paper at hand introduces a model of how to calculate optimal decoupling hub locations within urban areas with the goal that inhabitants walk or cycle to the next decoupling hub and do not take a motorised vehicle. The study at hand uses the northern district of Zurich as unit of analysis and shows that by using the developed model, 80% of the inhabitants need to walk less than 250 metres to their next decoupling hub, which is within the radius of 100 metres to the next public transport stop. This supports the integration of picking up or dropping off deliveries while commuting.

Distribution facilities in California: A dynamic landscape and equity considerations

This work studies the distribution of warehouses and distribution centers (W&DCs) in California and analyzes their potential relationships with disadvantaged communities (DACs). Through aggregated spatial analyses and econometric modeling, the research compares the concentration of W&DCs in five metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) in California. The analyses show that the weighted geometric centers of W&DCs have shifted slightly toward city central areas in all five MPOs in the last few years, contrasting to the logistics sprawl trends evidenced in previous research. In the Bay Area and Southern California, W&DCs are more prevalent in areas with higher pollution burden, according to the CalEnviroScreen (CS) score. In Southern California, the study analyzes disaggregate industrial real estate data of 49,697 property transactions (properties sold) between 1989 and 2018. On average, the size of the facilities transacted have decreased, especially for those closer to the urban center. These results are confirmed using parametric and non-parametric data analyses. During recent years, smaller and closer (to the urban core) facilities represent the largest share in the transactions, consistent with the trends in e-commerce and its associated distribution requirements. Moreover, the data show a disproportionate sitting of facilities in areas where DACs reside. The paper ends with a discussion of policy and planning recommendations.

‘Proximity logistics’: Characterizing the development of logistics facilities in dense, mixed-use urban areas around the world

The maturation of digital(ized) consumption, together with the amplification of cities’ initiatives in response to local and global environmental challenges, has placed goods transport, an essential but impactful activity, at the forefront of urban stakeholders’ scrutiny. High-performance and low-impact supply chains benefit from the presence of logistics facilities in proximity to goods’ destinations. This development of logistics facilities in high-demand areas, which are essentially urban, dense and mixed-use, we term ‘proximity logistics’. It is the focus of this article. Proximity logistics entails extending and refining networks of logistics facilities towards urban cores and allows them to counteract some of the undesirable effects that their historic tendency to outward migration (or logistics sprawl) potentially brings about. The phenomenon is established around the world, albeit to different extents. In this article, we discuss the trends supporting proximity logistics’ development and present a typology of facilities it could entail, followed by case studies of five cities: New York (United States); Paris (France); Seoul (South Korea); Shanghai (China); and Tokyo (Japan). We characterize the state of practice of logistics facilities in each city’s dense, mixed-use areas, compare the characteristics in light of their context and distill learnings in support of sustainable land use patterns.

Exploring the contextual factors behind various phases in logistics sprawl: The case of Seoul Metropolitan Area, South Korea

Logistics sprawl is a phenomenon that allows retailers and distributors to cope with the increasing demand for processing large freight volumes through the globalized production and distribution systems. It involves a tradeoff between per-unit inventory and transport costs. Large-scale, automated facilities are built on the urban periphery, where relatively cheaper land is more available. A potential increase in shipment distance necessitates better freight transport management and planning by logistics businesses and the public sector. At present, online shopping sales are skyrocketing, and consumers increasingly demand instant delivery at no cost. Online retailers strive to fulfill the demand in urban settings, characterized by high land rent, congestion, and strict regulations. Building an urban logistics system can become extremely costly and time-consuming. Public interventions may be justified if urban logistics is considered an essential utility that can lead to significant negative externalities without proper management. This research navigates how and where warehouse development has occurred under such stringent circumstances. I first examine the spatial dynamics of warehouse development over the last three decades in the Seoul Metropolitan Area, South Korea, and attempt to expand the conventional understanding of logistics sprawl. Relative distribution is calculated between warehouses and potential destinations: B2C consumer (population), B2B I (employment), B2B II (industrial park), and Seoul's central business district. The primary data source is the Korea National Building Registry, which contains 3340 warehouse development records. Four phases in the spatial dynamics of warehouse development are documented: stagnation (1991–1998), sprawl (1998–2007), peak (2007–2008), and return (2009–present). Further, semi-structured interviews with field experts identify the business, economic, and regulatory circumstances that potentially influence logistics facility development. The results suggest four factors behind logistics sprawl: (1) logistics restructuring driven by a consumption-based economy, (2) location factor tradeoffs, (3) disruptive economic shocks, and (4) regulatory reform. This research calls for comprehensive land use and transport planning to better accommodate urban logistics practices.

Changes in warehouse spatial patterns and rental prices: Are they related? Exploring the case of US metropolitan areas

In this paper, two hypotheses are explored linking urban characteristics to the spatial structure of warehouses: (i) the location of warehouses (central places or peripheral areas) is closely related to the land/rent values of these facilities; and (ii) logistics sprawl is higher in cities with a high differential between land/rent values in city centers and peripheral areas. For that, we have considered warehouse real estate and urban data for 46 United States metropolitan areas to analyze the urban spatial structure and the relationship among urban variables, warehouse location, and rental prices. We deliver an exploratory analysis among the 46 metropolitan areas. The main results are (i) it is essential to classify metropolitan portions of urban space into a typology to perform studies that consider different regions; (ii) warehouse location and rent prices are related to the concentration of urban activity; (iii) logistics sprawl is not significantly related to differential warehouse rental prices in the database that we explored.

Logistics sprawl and the change in freight transport activity: A comparison of three measurement methodologies

Logistics sprawl has been observed in many urban areas around the world, but the assumed link between increased logistics sprawl and increased freight transport activity has little empirical evidence. Because this link could influence policy-making to either fight or facilitate logistics sprawl, this paper investigates the implications of using different methodologies to quantify the relationship. Three different methodologies are compared. The first two methodologies are from well-respected sources in literature and the third is proposed in this paper. The methodologies measure transport activity related to logistics sprawl in three urban areas in South Africa between 2010 and 2014. The results from the methodologies are contradicting with the methodology proposed in this paper questioning the link between logistics sprawl and freight transport activity altogether. The comparison of the methodologies also shows that it is essential to include empirical data of actual vehicle movement when investigating logistics sprawl's impact on transport activity.

Examining the Impacts of Logistics Sprawl on Freight Transportation in Indian Cities: Implications for Planning and Sustainable Development

Abstract The relocation of logistics facilities toward the periphery of urban areas—that is, logistics sprawl—is a major challenge for policymakers due to the impacts on the economic geography of s...

Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Freight Flows in Southern California

This paper analyses the spatio-temporal patterns of freight flows in Southern California using weigh-in-motion (WIM) data between 2003 and 2015. The study explores the spatial relationships between truck volumes, load ratios, and gross vehicle weights for different vehicle classes, through econometric and centrographic analyses during the study period. Overall, the results confirmed the existence of the logistics sprawl phenomenon, highlighted the effect of the 2008 to 2009 major recession in the concentration of freight facilities and flows, indicated that the changes in flow patterns vary for different vehicle classes, and found low vehicle capacity utilization for light- (WIM classes 5–7) and medium- (WIM classes 8–10) heavy-duty trucks, though recently improving. These results are consistent with the growth in residential deliveries owing to e-commerce, showing increased light-heavy-duty trucks flows concentrated closer to the consumption areas, and experiencing larger flow reductions compared to heavy vehicle flows as the distance from the area increases; and showing that medium-heavy-duty vehicles used in both full-truck-load, and less-than-truck-load vocations are prevalent throughout the study area, whereas there is a trade-off between light- and heavy-heavy duty trucks (WIM classes 11–13) at the proximity, and the outskirts of the consumption markets, respectively. Moreover, the study shows the usefulness of the WIM data in identifying spatial and temporal dynamics in freight demand, providing additional information for planning, maintenance, and rehabilitation of the infrastructure. More importantly, the results, coupled with other evidence from the literature, show how major disruptions such as the recession significantly affect truck traffic.

Urban growth and freight transport: From sprawl to distension

This paper aims at discussing the effects of the urban growth on freight mobility through the analysis of urban activities localisation. Thanks to the results of this work, we lay the basics of an original concept that synthetizes logistics sprawl and other localisation dynamics taking into principal consideration the mobility of freight in general: the logistics distension.Through the spatial analysis of activities and population localisation between 1982 and 2012 in Lyon's urban area, we show the evolution of the socio-economic morphology and evolution of the freight landscape. Through freight movements modelling, we show the evolution of freight mobility in the conurbation of Lyon with regard to the modifications of the urban fabric.

The geography of warehouses in the São Paulo Metropolitan Region and contributing factors to this spatial distribution

This paper aims to characterize the relocation of warehouses in the São Paulo Metropolitan Region (SPMR) considering the spatial structure of changes in warehouse locations. We also discuss the potential factors that could attract warehouses to their location, especially in peripheral regions. The study encompasses the period between 1992 and 2017 and analyzes the influence of geographical, economics, road infrastructure, municipality service tax rate, cargo theft, and real estate prices on logistics facility location. The results show no evidence of logistics sprawl in SPMR during the studied period, although a small sprawl appeared between 2010 and 2017, moving the barycenter to the Northwestern direction of the SPMR. The main factors that influence the decision to move the warehouses are the low cost of land, lower tax, and a well-served infrastructure with highway intersections. There is a positive spatial correlation between warehouse per capita and cargo theft.

Influence of Characteristics of Metropolitan Areas on the Logistics Sprawl: A Case Study for Metropolitan Areas of the State of Paraná (Brazil)

The concentration of warehouses in peripheral regions of metropolitan areas in a time period is called logistics sprawl (LS). Identifying this phenomenon could help to reduce externalities related to urban freight transport, mainly, the distance traveled. This paper examines the contribution of the characteristics of metropolitan areas on the logistics sprawl indicator. A case study was carried out considering data from eight metropolitan areas of the state of Paraná (Brazil). The research method is based on the data collection procedure proposed, centrographic method, and linear regression. The results of the centrographic method reveal a positive LS in four metropolitan areas and a negative LS in three metropolitan areas. In general, the warehouses are close to the highways that cross the metropolitan area. In addition, the size of the metropolitan area has a negative relationship with the number of warehouses and the logistics sprawl indicator. The findings highlight the importance of public policies relating to urban freight transport and land use at a metropolitan level.

Consequences of logistics sprawl: Order or chaos? - the case of a parcel service company in Paris metropolitan area

Logistics sprawl is the phenomenon driving warehouses and freight terminals further and further away from city centers, for reasons that are mostly dependent on urban planning, field price and economies of scale. In the past, studies have already described logistics sprawl in Paris Metropolitan area. These studies have concluded that logistic facilities far from Paris city center increased the distance travelled, and by extension, CO2 emissions. This study does not question logistics sprawl in Paris metropolitan area but questions its consequences.This study presents a point of view on the location of cross-docking terminals. One main parcel service carrier was studied through a database strong of 600,000 inputs including pick-ups and deliveries for two months in the Paris metropolitan area. This study is not intended to be representative of all merchandise flows but makes it possible to understand the running of one significant actor. This project aims at determining the optimum terminals location according to two criteria: minimization of the total distance as calculated by the Euclidean distance (as the crow flies) between terminals and points of pick-up/ delivery, and the number of authorized terminals. The number of terminals is modified to study its relationship with the spatial distribution of its clients.Interestingly, we found that optimized locations for this parcel service carrier are located outside of Paris city center. Those locations minimize the total distance to the clients, and thus, are the best places to limit pollution. The reason is that the carrier manages this perimeter through a polycentric organization. Paris Metropolitan area is viewed as several sectors and not as a whole for this carrier. It is therefore unknown how the carrier's performance has evolved over time, but its current organization is close to the optimal situation.

Relative logistics sprawl: Measuring changes in the relative distribution from warehouses to logistics businesses and the general population

The logistics sprawl – warehousing and distribution centers relocating farther away from central urban areas to the urban periphery – has been widely examined in multiple global trade gateways. The spatial shifts have been attributed to the systematic and geographic restructuring of goods production and distribution systems at the global scale. More recently, growing online shopping sales and demand for instant delivery have put tremendous pressure on online retail businesses to locate order fulfillment centers in urban areas with direct access to the consumer markets. Has the trend of sprawling warehouses reversed? Have warehouses been relocating closer to consumer demand? In this research, I use a relative distribution measure to quantify the spatial distribution of warehouses relative to the logistics sector, the goods movement sector, and the general population over time. The main data source is ZIP Code Business Patterns from 2003 to 2016 with the study area of the 64 largest US metropolitan areas. In 2016, warehouses were most closely distributed relative to logistics sectors (38.6 km), followed by goods movement sectors (41.2 km), and population (43.5 km). From 2003 to 2016, the distance between warehouses and related businesses has increased, but the extent varies with respect to metropolitan and warehouse size. The trend of increasing relative distance from warehouses to related businesses stopped since the economic recession in 2008. Relative distribution measures are significantly correlated with internal ground shipment ton-kilometers but only in large trade gateways.

Modeling the Spatial Dimensions of Warehouse Rent Determinants: A Case Study of Seoul Metropolitan Area, South Korea

The spatial mismatch between warehouse locations and urban freight demand mainly driven by logistics sprawl can have negative environmental impacts, due to the increase in average trucking distances. This study investigated the spatial dimension of warehouse rent determinants identifying the regional specifics of supply and demand of warehouse facilities and services. Based on the case of the Seoul Metropolitan Area in South Korea, spatial autoregressive regression (SAR) and mixed geographically weighted regression (MGWR) models were developed to explain the spatial stationary and non-stationary relationship between warehouse rent and the explanatory variables, including the transactional characteristics of the rental contracts, physical characteristics of the buildings, location factors, and various warehousing services. The MGWR results identified the distance to the nearest highway interchange, repackaging service, and built-in ramps as globally fixed variables and contract floor space, total building floor space, building age, and land price as locally varying variables. The results of this study allowed us to provide meaningful insights into the sustainable development of urban logistics facilities through a better understanding of the interaction between logistics activities, transportation infrastructure, and land use.