Private Actors Research Articles

Sustainability and Net Zero climate agreements – a transatlantic antitrust perspective

The climate crisis requires a transition to a Net Zero economy. Such a transition is possible only through concerted public and private action. While a number of financial institutions and insurance companies had agreed to align their activities with Net Zero targets, reconsidering support for new coal and fossil fuel projects, these initiatives have come under attack from political groups in the US, who have labelled such agreements ‘collective boycotts’. Such accusations feed a collective action problem, and thus hinder private sector cooperation. This article discusses the background to Net Zero Agreements, and the recent antitrust criticisms, under US, EU and UK antitrust law and precedent. Net Zero Agreements can alleviate market failures, resolve collective action problems, and improve consumer welfare by lowering the potentially huge costs to consumers of an unmitigated climate crisis. Under a rule of reason, antitrust authorities and courts in the US, EU, and UK can and should give room for private sector cooperation between companies pursuing an effective transition to a clean economy, where these agreements correct market failures and resolve collective action problems.

Infrastructural gaslighting and the crisis of participatory planning

This paper traces and critiques gaslighting – the manipulation of circumstances by elite actors to sow doubt or confusion in residents over what is ‘real’ – as an affective experience of infrastructure planning. Predominantly observed within intimate relationships, scholars now identify gaslighting as a structural condition that manipulates whole communities and reproduces systemic oppression. We concur, extending analysis to the realm of urban infrastructure planning, and drawing connections with Rancièrian critiques of elite orders of governance. In infrastructural worlds, regulatory arrangements have been harmonised to suit coalitions of elite government and private actors whilst extolling the virtues of participatory governance. Megaprojects are legitimised by planning processes that cement monopolies and shroud elite public-private deal-making, while detractors are delegitimised discursively in political and media discourse. Yet, dissent is also pacified via participatory planning processes that invite publics to give testimony but undermine their epistemic and moral validity. This, we contend, is an example of infrastructural gaslighting. The case of Melbourne’s West Gate Tunnel Project (WGTP) is instructive – a ‘Market-Led Proposal’ from corporate infrastructure giant Transurban, backed by the Victorian government – where participatory planning was not simply tokenistic, but rather a discombobulating experience, concealing and ‘breadcrumbing’ information to publics, while undermining deliberative capacities. Exposing grounded experiences of infrastructural gaslighting, we join other critical urban scholars seeking conditions for just planning practices. Infrastructural planning regimes are consequential, but the realities they police are illusions that are as tenuous as they are politically constituted and, like other forms of gaslighting, are ready for challenge.

‘We like sharing energy but currently there's no advantage’: Transformative opportunities and challenges of local energy communities in Europe

Rising energy costs expose the instability of our energy system and underline the urgency of transitioning towards decentralized renewable energy provision. Many European countries have tasked municipalities with driving this transition and the European Union has designated local energy communities to receive stronger support. Energy communities involve public, private or community actors in co-producing and distributing renewable energy. They are often praised for helping democratize, decentralize and socially embed the energy system, but remain constrained by economic and legal barriers. To what extent they can contribute to transforming the energy system thus depends on their ability to scale beyond their niche.This article identifies opportunities and challenges encountered by energy communities, especially regarding legislation, municipal governance, and stakeholder participation. Drawing on ‘foundational economy’ concepts, it explains to what extent energy communities are governed and scaled by public, private or community actors, and discusses the transferability, social cohesion, and democratizing potential of energy innovations. The article compares qualitative findings from four energy community pilot projects in the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden and the UK, based on interviews, observation and document analysis. It finds that while many cities are well-positioned to launch energy communities, they lack the authority and means to scale up innovations, thus having to rely on other actors. While private companies are often hesitant about adopting innovations, municipal companies are more willing to do so, yet citizen participation is lacking across cases. Findings thus underline a need for legislation to remove barriers to energy innovation and enable democratic participation.

The role of European (transnational) business actors in the emergence of a boundary spanning policy regime in European education and employment

ABSTRACT Although research on European education policy has aptly focused on the role of supranational and intergovernmental actors, less attention has been devoted to its analysis as a policy arena in which legitimacy can be created and power can be exerted in sophisticated ways. Specifically, the role of non-state actors as agenda-setters for European education and employment policies is still unexplored. By combining a neo-Gramscian approach of political economy with Jochim and May’s boundary spanning policy regimes’ perspective, which captures activity across policy subsystems that seek to manage ‘wicked’ policy problems, this paper looks at the role of private and business actors, and specifically the European Round Table of Industrialists (ERT), in European education during the 1980s and 1990s. The findings show how this period can be considered a foundational period for the emergence of a BSPR in education and employment, and in which specific goals and directions were set out in the European education agenda more fine-tuned with employment goals and industry’s needs. Moreover, the paper illustrates why private and non-state actors shape boundary policy spanning regimes at the nexus of education and employment, which in this case reflected the economic interests and preferences of European transnational companies.

Examining proximity factors in public-private collaboration models for sustainable agri-food system transformation: a comparative study of two rural communities

Collaboration among local actors is considered an important precondition for a sustainable transformation of the regional agri-food system. To date, however, little is known about the social innovation capacity of local farmers when it comes to the establishment of alternative food networks. This is especially true for farmers’ collaborations with local government officials, which are becoming increasingly important in establishing sustainability-oriented markets for local products and services, especially in the agricultural sector that is often rooted in rigid logics, supply chains and institutions. Therefore, this paper aims to explore the concept of proximity as an analytical lens to understand private-public collaboration models that aim at facilitating sustainable transformation in rural areas. Drawing on concepts from innovation geography, this paper considers the influence of geographic, cognitive, institutional, organizational and social determinants of collaboration, enabling an evaluation of the social innovation capacity of local private and public actors. This theoretical approach helps to disassemble and differentiate social innovation processes to determine success strategies. The paper studies two rural communities where mayors aim to establish local food stores with regional products and, therefore, seek collaboration with local farmers. While the empirical aspect of the study is limited, the two cases provide an opportunity to test the theoretical framework. The proximity approach can be significant for regional agri-food system transformation and steering social innovation processes by considering the distinct capacities of actors. Our conclusion is that the examination of the absence and degree of proximity facilitates a better understanding of practical recommendations to promote agri-food system transformation.

Private international law in the context of space law

This article explores the intersection of private international law and space law, shedding light on the legal frameworks and considerations that govern activities in outer space. The primary focus of the article appears to be on the evolving legal landscape as it pertains to private entities and their involvement in space-related activities.
 Key Points:
 Space Law Context: the article delves into the broader context of space law, outlining the various international agreements and treaties governing outer space activities. This context is crucial to understanding the legal framework within which private international law operates in the realm of space.
 Private Entities in Space: given the mention of "Private International Law,” the article discusses the participation of private entities, such as commercial space companies and satellite operators, in activities related to space exploration, satellite communications, and space resource utilization. This touches upon the legal rights and obligations of private actors in space.
 Jurisdiction and Dispute Resolution: the article explores how private international law concepts, such as jurisdiction and dispute resolution mechanisms, apply to space-related disputes. This includes discussions on which legal jurisdictions govern disputes involving space activities and how international treaties address jurisdictional issues.
 Liability and Responsibility: space activities inherently involve risks, and the article touches the legal frameworks for liability and responsibility in cases of accidents or damage caused by space objects, especially when private entities are involved.
 Evolving Legal Landscape: the dynamic nature of space law, with new technologies and actors continually emerging, can be a central theme. The article discusses recent developments, challenges, and adaptations in space law to accommodate private sector interests and innovations.
 Future Implications: the article speculates on the future direction of private international law in the context of space activities. This encompasses considerations of how space law may need to adapt further as commercial ventures expand into the cosmos.
 Global Collaboration: given the international nature of space activities, discussions on the importance of global collaboration and cooperation in addressing legal issues related to space.
 Overall, this article provides valuable insights into the evolving legal landscape at the intersection of private international law and space law, offering readers a deeper understanding of the legal complexities surrounding space activities conducted by private entities.

Public health measures and the rise of incidental surveillance: Considerations about private informational power and accountability

The public health measures implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in a substantially increased shared reliance on private infrastructure and digital services in areas such as healthcare, education, retail, and the workplace. This development has (i) granted a number of private actors significant (informational) power, and (ii) given rise to a range of digital surveillance practices incidental to the pandemic itself. In this paper, we reflect on these secondary consequences of the pandemic and observe that, even though collateral data disclosure and additional activity monitoring appears to have been generally socially accepted as inevitable consequences of the pandemic, part and parcel of a larger conglomeration of emergency compromises, these increased surveillance practices were not directly justified by appeals to solidarity and public health in the same way that the instigating public health measures were. Based on this observation, and given the increased reliance on private actors for maintaining the digital space, we argue that governments have a duty to (i) seek and ensure that there are justifications for collateral data disclosure and activity monitoring by private actors in the context of (future) public health emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic, and (ii) regulate and provide accountability mechanisms for and oversight over these private surveillance practices on par with governmental essential services that engage in surveillance activities.

Deciphering the impacts of ‘green’ energy transition on socio-environmental lithium conflicts: Evidence from Argentina and Chile

The surging demand for lithium-powered electric vehicles and energy storage systems, driven by the low-carbon energy transition, is explored in this study regarding its impact on socio-environmental lithium conflicts up to 2019. We show the limitations of applying resource curse models for this enquiry due to unique characteristics of lithium cases and discrepancies between economic (demand, price and production) and conflict data. Combining quantitative political ecology methods with the explanatory power of ethnographic insights from critical resource geography, this paper builds and investigates a dataset encompassing 13 lithium and 41 non-transition-related resource (‘NTR’) conflicts in Argentina and Chile, mainly using data from Environmental Justice Atlas. Findings reveal distinct patterns between the two conflict types, with lithium conflicts experiencing increased initiation and intensification during 2010–2019 when all of the core conflict events, i.e., human, indigenous and environmental rights violations & reported health hazards, legal actions, mass mobilisations and violent events took place. Forms of mass mobilisations, such as protests and roadblocks, were commonly observed in both lithium (15 events) and NTR (19 events) cases with higher intensity per case in the former whereas rights violations (1 vs 13 events) and legal actions (5 vs 34) were less common in lithium conflicts.We then discuss the impacts of the demand pressure on governments, companies and indigenous residents, with their responses to these influences. We demonstrate that, while State actors became more active in the economic sphere of lithium mining, they abandoned their role as the guarantor of indigenous citizens’ rights until 2019. Economic opportunities, uncertainties and the ‘green discourse’ fuelled by the transition demand led the State and private actors to neglect indigenous concerns, rights and lifestyles. In the absence of state support, indigenous communities asserted their agency through mainly protests and roadblocks navigating the socio-environmental impact landscape amidst evolving state-company-community dynamics.

Introduction: Mapping the Research Field on the Democracy–Sustainability Nexus

With each new report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the urgency to address climate change seems to increase. As the pressure to act rises, debates are intensifying regarding whether democracies can move toward sustainability fast enough. In this introduction to the special issue, we argue that current debates about the democracy–sustainability nexus revolve around the question of who should decide. Much of the recent debate can be structured along three opposites: experts versus laypersons, less versus more participation, and state versus market/private actor solutions. The first distinction asks whether climate change necessitates a shift of decision-making powers to scientists and experts rather than politicians or citizens. In the second debate, those who favor more participation in environmental policymaking face those who demand less. For example, whereas some promote new forms of deliberative forums, others doubt that these can be effective. Finally, there is a debate on whether markets and private actor networks might provide more efficient and effective ways to deal with the climate crisis than state regulation. While these perspectives are highly diverse and even contradictory, they are united in the belief that standard procedures of liberal democracy are insufficient to achieve sustainability.

EU trade liberalisation, sectoral coalitions and development: insights from Moldova and Georgia

ABSTRACT This paper contributes to the literature on EU trade policy by introducing insights from the political economy literature on development to the study of how EU trade liberalisation affects development in trading partners. Drawing on a comparison of EU trade liberalisation with Moldova and Georgia, we argue that the type of coalition between public and private actors in partner countries’ top export sectors determines which firms benefit from better market access to the EU, as indicated by their ability to increase their exports. We show that liberalised trade with the EU tends to contribute to achieving the EU’s declared objective of inclusive development if the presence of inclusionary development coalitions ensures that a broad range of firms is enabled to increase their export capacities through a mechanism that we call ‘inclusive empowerment’. Otherwise, trade liberalisation contributes to exclusive development, benefitting big, mostly foreign firms, or, at worse, consolidating rent-seeking practices.

Pros and Cons of Data Pricing and Access Policies

The sharing of benefits of space activities is a principle that is repeated throughout several legal instruments that regulate outer space as a key principle. These legal instruments offer very little guidance in how to interpret this principle and what the scope of its corresponding obligation is. Considering the shift to privatization and commercialization of space activities, defining this principle becomes ever more pressing to be able to assess and solve the discrepancy between legal obligations and contemporary developments in the use of space. The supply and use of Earth Observation (EO) data provides a particularly fertile case study to illustrate this. Different pricing policies are analysed with particular regard for the benefit principle, but also taking into account the interests of commercial and private actors as participants of a developing EO data market. Currently, there is no definite consistency in pricing and access policies. To secure this balance between the needs of the EO data market and the obligation that the benefits principle holds, a binding international regulation on EO data access, pricing and further (re)distribution could offer the consistency and stability the commercial EO data market needs to mature while also protecting social and scientific interests. Earth Observation, EO, data pricing policies, open data policies, benefits, New Space, outer space, law, principles, Outer Space Treaty

Expanding the politics of measurement in sustainable finance: Reconceptualizing environmental, social and governance information as infrastructure

The integration of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations into investment processes, often termed “sustainable finance,” has gained significant traction in the global financial system. Yet, despite its growing significance there remains widespread ambiguity about what sustainable finance refers to. Macro-political oriented studies from different disciplines have traced the evolution of sustainable finance and related it to broader financial and political dynamics like financialization or the rise of private environmental governance. By foregrounding these elements, they have, however, tended to paint a too monolithic picture of sustainable finance and related it to abstract discussions such as whether it is controlled by public or private actors. Micro-political accounts, inspired by Science and Technology Studies, have, by contrast, focused on the nuances and contingencies of amongst other metrics, accounting standards or green bond classification frameworks that make the connection of finance and sustainability possible. While these treatments have provided rich accounts of these technical devices, they de-emphasize the connections and evolutionary dynamics of their objects of study. This article aims to bridge macro- and micro-political treatments of sustainable finance by (re-)conceptualizing the evolution of the field in terms of an emerging and expanding infrastructure of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) information. Drawing from secondary literature, interviews, and participant observation data, it provides a three-staged history of sustainable finance from the perspective of the technical devices making up ESG information. It, thereby, offers a comprehensive view that goes beyond attributing sustainable finance to macro-level trends or isolated micro-level occurrences.

Framing The Responsibility of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) on Space Technology in International Law

Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) have gained popularity as a way to use resources and expertise from the private sector to support governmental space activities. In the event of a space-related incident, the division of duties and liabilities between public and private partners may be complicated. Clarifying the division of duties and liabilities between public and private actors is necessary given the rising participation of private companies in space activities.. With the growing involvement of private entities in space activities, there is a need to clarify the allocation of responsibilities and liabilities between public and private actors. Who is held responsible when a private company causes a technological disaster strike? On what basis can the responsibility be made, understood from international law? The research is normative legal research, where the data is collected through a statutory and case approach. The study results show that Public-private partnerships (PPPs) in outer space activities raise complex questions regarding responsibility. Responsibility refers to the Liability Convention on the Outer Space Treaty. The treaty emphasizes that states bear international responsibility for their national activities in outer space, including those conducted by private entities under their jurisdiction. However, the treaty does not explicitly address the specific responsibilities of private actors. Private companies only bear indirect international responsibility. PPPs need to consider the notion of shared responsibility, which acknowledges the contributions of both public and private actors and emphasizes cooperation and transparency

The power of price subsidies in Morocco

The Moroccan system of ‘compensation’ subsidises products that are deemed to be important for household purchasing power: butane gas, flour, bread, sugar, and fuel (until 2015). This article offers a historical sociology of this system, which was inaugurated during the colonial period in 1941 and which survived criticism from neoclassical economists working in international financial institutions. It demonstrates that the system’s resilience and the transformations it underwent can be analysed by treating it as a means of exercising power. Subsidies make it possible to involve private actors in governing social issues. It also helps to regulate economic and political rivalries and alliances through market interactions and competitive relationships, including around the King’s Palace. The administrative mechanisms used to calculate the subsidies and the retail prices also shape the relationships between operators in the various sectors, while allowing opaque and rentier management. In addition, despite being the subject of social demand, the compensation system has been criticised by technocrats and protest movements, particularly after the ‘Arab Spring’ revolutions in 2011. The article is based on an analysis of the practical procedures of compensation in the contemporary period, in particular concerning flour and bread, and to a lesser extent butane, as well as on an analysis of the debates and struggles that subsidies has given rise to within Moroccan society, its State administration, and its political parties.

The co-creation of value by public and private actors in the front end of urban development projects

This study focuses on the co-creation of value in the front end of urban development projects (UDPs) established by coalitions of public and private actors to develop specific urban premises or areas. Creating value in UDPs calls for collaboration between municipal actors and private companies, specifically in the front end phase, during which major design decisions are made. This qualitative case study builds on data collected through 27 semi-structured interviews in a middle-sized city in Finland. Our data analysis resulted in the categorisation of four value co-creation processes involving municipal actors and private companies, namely, zoning, exploring, procuring and negotiating. The study's results offer insights into how value co-creation can be facilitated in UDPs. This study contributes to recent value-creation literature by providing a novel understanding of each value co-creation process, its characteristics and its corresponding co-created values.

Negotiating healthy food retail initiatives: An ethnographic study of a partnership with supermarkets

Abstract Background The health promotion literature advocates for partnerships with private actors, but scholars have called for detailed knowledge on the development of interventions in studies using such co-approaches. This study aims to increase our understanding of how such partnerships influence intervention development and content. In 2019, researchers at the National Institute of Public Health, Denmark, established a partnership with the food retailer Salling Group and the Danish Cancer Society, which will be the case used in this study. The vision of the partnership was to develop and test healthy food retail initiatives to make the healthy choice the easy choice for customers. Methods We performed a focused ethnographic study from the initiation of the partnership (2019) until the feasibility test of the initiatives (2021). We used participant observation of meetings and intervention development activities, interviews with partners, and document analysis of e-mail correspondences and project materials. We analysed data abductively with inspiration from a chronological narrative analytical approach and concepts of partnerships, negotiation, and institutional logics. Findings We identified six phases of the development process, characterized by randomness, compromises, fear, conflicting logics, and unforeseen events. We show how 1) a random meeting and initial verbal agreements between a few persons affect the mindset and decision-making of the partners, 2) conflicting logics can both hinder and facilitate the development of initiatives, and 3) the process is shaped by unforeseen events i.e., Covid-19 restrictions, and organisational changes. Conclusions This study highlights how fragile public-private partnerships are and the significance of each step taken. To succeed with effective health promotion in the retail setting partnerships may benefit from being flexible and investing time in forming a shared understanding based on discussions of different perspectives. Key messages • Partnerships between academics and non-academics are fragile and unpredictable. • Negotiation of healthy food retail initiatives is facilitated and hindered by differences in institutional logics.

5.I. Round table: Governing private sector engagement: opportunities & challenges in public health policy & practice

Abstract Health systems all over the world rely on a mix of public and private inputs in the financing and provision of health services and products, with varying degrees of involvement of the private sector. The importance of private sector engagement was evident during the COVID-19 pandemic, when governments had to work with the private sector to meet the demand of health services and products. Private actors were engaged or worked in partnership with the public health system to supply rapid and often innovative solutions to strengthen some existing services and develop new ones. In tandem, various governance challenges such as the lack of transparency, inefficiencies, and potential corruption - undermining effective health system performance were also experienced. This workshop aims to shed light on the learnings from private sector engagement (both positive and negative) during the pandemic, discuss the relevant issues shaping the governance of private sector engagement in public health, and the policy and practice implications in the post-pandemic world. Session plan: Opening/welcome by Dr Natasha Azzopardi Muscat Director, Division of Health Systems and Public Policy, WHO Regional Office for Europe (5 mins) - Tentative Brief reflection on the Importance of governing private sector engagement - opportunities and challenges in public health policy and practice by Gabriele Pastorino Technical Officer, WHO Regional Office for Europe (5 mins) Technical overview: key messages from the joint WHO EURO/European Observatory policy brief on lessons learnt from private sector engagement during COVID-19 by Anna Maresso, European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies (5 mins) - Tentative Roundtable discussion with panelists on key learnings on private sector engagement during COVID-19. (40 minutes) Panelist representing Policy, Academia, and Practice would be engaged in a roundtable discussion, answering questions to shed more light on this topic. This would be followed by interactive Q& A with the audience. Proposed questions: -what we have learned from the COVID-19 pandemic on engaging with the private sector (common challenges and opportunities) -examples of successful engagements and innovative collaborations that were maintained after the pandemic or scaled up relevant issues shaping the governance of private sector engagement in public health, and the policy and practice implications in the post-pandemic world. Key take-home messages from the session by Dr Naomi Limaro Nathan, Consultant, WHO Regional Office for Europe. (5 mins) Closing remarks Key learning outcomes: • To enable an increased awareness of the opportunities and challenges of governing private sector engagement in public health policy and practice in the post-pandemic world. •To build momentum for public health stakeholders to engage in the discourse and contribute to strengthening the governance of private sector engagement. Key messages • The pandemic experience has provided an opportunity for learnings - both good and bad to enable strengthened governance for private sector engagement. • Engaging with the private sector in a post-pandemic world is vital to addressing health system needs and achieving UHC.

Communications Infrastructure, Technological Solutionism and the International Legal Imagination

This article considers the role played by communications infrastructure within the international legal imagination. It engages with contemporary debates regarding the power of corporate digital platforms and their model of information capitalism. An international legal historical perspective is adopted in order to contextualise international law’s present infrastructural turn and connect current debates over big tech with their precursors. The history of international legal engagement with the development of communications infrastructure reveals a recurring pattern of looking to technological infrastructure for solutions to global problems. This can act to empower private actors and contribute to an ongoing absence of meaningful international legal regulation of communications. The contemporary interest in infrastructure, and its implications in terms of fostering the private power of big tech over global communications, is in many ways a return. But it could also take account of alternative visions for international law which were present at key moments during the League of Nations era and the Cold War. Connecting current debates with those earlier moments in international legal history can help to highlight and counter continuing patterns of technological solutionism within the international legal imagination.

Partnerships in Heritage Governance and Management: Review Study of Public–Civil, Public–Private and Public–Private–Community Partnerships

Cultural heritage governance and management has been shifting from the sole authority of the state and public bodies towards approaches that list multi-actor partnerships in several combinations involving public actors, civil society, private actors and community. This paper examines the public–civil, public–private and public–private–community partnerships through expounding rationales, conceptual backgrounds and theoretical framings for each partnership, followed by a systemic review and analysis of the academic literature sourced through the PRISMA protocol. The analysis objective was to assess the main advantages and disadvantages of each of the partnerships in governing and managing cultural heritage, noting the levels of representation of each governance and management approach. The results have shown that the public–civil and public–private–community partnerships have similar advantages and disadvantages, with the public–civil partnership being the least represented approach in the literature, while the public–private partnership has the highest level of representation with advantages and disadvantages that are inclined towards more pragmatic aims than those of the other two examined approaches. The so-called ‘new governance models’ of heritage were also detected in the analysis; however, they represent only a variant of the already analysed models.

Turning a spotlight on construction logistics for a sustainable urban environment—a review of current policy concepts and literature

Construction logistics is an influential participant in the overall urban freight network and a bottle neck for an efficient construction process. Especially in the urban area professionalization of its management may reduce negative impacts on the environment from which stakeholders, like construction companies, policymakers and residents, do profit. In order to shed light on construction logistics in the urban environment in particular, a two-step methodological approach was pursued, which reconciles scientific findings with consideration in policies for the first time. Therefore, the current state of research was investigated by performing a systematic literature review and applying bibliometric keyword co-occurrence analyses in the first place. Moreover, policy papers (grey literature) on urban freight transportation of the 20 biggest cities in the DACH-region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) were analyzed for their consideration of construction logistics in an initial case study. The results demonstrate limited consideration with only four cities paying deliberate attention within their overall logistics policy concepts and just one city providing construction logistics-specific policy recommendations. This is in line with the findings that although construction logistics in the urban environment is an emerging topic in academia, it is currently underrepresented in the context of urban logistics research. Therefore, combined results suggest insufficient translation of research findings into actionable policies despite existing literature providing possible ways to design future policies, e.g., by supporting decision-making. In conclusion, strategic management of construction logistics in the urban environment should be paid more attention to from both policy and academia in proportion to its environmental and socio-economic effects as well as its impact on the whole construction process. In that regard, predominately robust empirical data is needed in order to legitimate effective and sustainable concepts for urban construction logistics for both public and private actors.