Sustainable Network Research Articles

Optimizing sustainable multimodal distribution networks in the context of carbon pricing, with a case study in the Thai sugar industry

Transportation is a major cause of energy consumption and emissions which can be reduced by optimizing routings and using alternative modes of transport. This paper relates to the strategic design of multimodal transportation networks. It presents a general model of green vehicle routing problems that supports strategic decision-making by identifying optimal solutions and provides data on costs and emissions. Three general linear programming models were developed that optimize multimodal distribution networks that could be applied in many industries. Model I evaluates carbon emissions; model II assesses carbon emissions and capacity constraints; and model III establishes total costs including transportation, handling, storage, fuel and carbon costs.Thailand is the third largest world sugar exporter in the world and is piloting carbon pricing, which will affect energy intensive industries, including the sugar industry. The models are applied using data obtained from a collaborating company. The research contributed to practice by informing managerial decisions relating to the export of sugar from the factory. This included evaluating the possible use of a dry port with rail connections, which could reduce transportation and carbon costs by 54.3 % and facilitate the building of another factory to increase exports.

Complete characterization of ocean color radiometers

Verifying and validating waterleaving radiance measurements from space for an accurate derivation of Ocean/Water Colour biogeophysical products is based on concurrent high-quality fiducial reference measurements (FRM) carried out on the ground or water body. The FRM principles established by the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) recommend that in situ Ocean Colour radiometers (OCR) have a documented history of SI traceable calibrations including uncertainty budgets. Furthermore, there can be significant differences between calibration and use of the instruments in the field due to differences in operating temperature, angular variation of the light field (especially for irradiance sensors), the intensity of the measured radiation, and spectral variation of the target, among others. Each of these factors may interact with individual properties of the instrument when deployed in the field, and estimation of such uncertainties requires instrument characterization in addition to the absolute radiometric calibration if expanded uncertainties within ±10% (k = 2) are the aim. The FRM4SOC Phase 2 project - funded by the European Commission in the frame of the Copernicus Programme and implemented by EUMETSAT - contributes to these efforts, aiming at developing an operational and sustained network of radiometric measurements of FRM quality. Within FRM4SOC-2, scientists from the Tartu Observatory (TO) of the University of Tartu performed an unprecedented batch of calibrations and characterizations on a set of 37 hyperspectral field radiometers representative of the most used OCR classes within the OC community. The calibrations and characterizations performed include the determination of radiometric responsivity, long-term stability, the accuracy of the spectral scale, non-linearity and accuracy of integration times, spectral stray light, angular response of irradiance sensors in air, dark signal, thermal sensitivity, polarization sensitivity, and signal-to-noise ratio of individual OCRs. Consistent correction of biases and extended uncertainty analysis procedures of in situ data obtained from different instruments and measurement models need to be clearly defined, which is the objective of this paper.

A Benders decomposition approach for a new sustainable pharmaceutical supply chain network: a case study in France

A Benders decomposition approach for a new sustainable pharmaceutical supply chain network: a case study in France

The Relationship between Supply Chain Resilience and Digital Supply Chain and the Impact on Sustainability: Supply Chain Dynamism as a Moderator

This research aims to explore the complex interplay between supply chain resilience (SCR), digital supply chain (DSC), and sustainability, focusing on the moderating influence of supply chain dynamism. The goal is to understand how these elements interact within the framework of contemporary supply chain management and how they collectively contribute to enhancing sustainability outcomes. The sample size is 300 CEOs and managers. The study approach integrates quantitative research methods. Structural equation modeling (SEM) is utilized to quantitatively analyze the direct and indirect effects of SCR and DSC on sustainability. The numerous surveys we conduct among supply chain ecosystem stakeholders provide a rich picture of practical implications and contextual nuances. In sum, our early findings generally support a positive relationship between SCR and sustainability in and of itself, declaring the need for more resilient supply networks for sustainability. We further find the beneficial impact of digital technologies in promoting sustainability via enhancing environmental control and controlling for efficiency in supply chains. We also offer evidence to show that supply chain dynamism compounds the positive logic between SCR and DSC and sustainability. As a final word, it must be noted that our work speaks to the burgeoning literature on supply chain dynamism as a moderator by examining the direct and contingent effects of SCR and DSC not only on performance but sustainability. By shedding light on the moderating role of dynamism, the study provides fresh insights into the multifaceted nature of supply chain management and sustainability practices. The study’s findings enhance theoretical understanding by elucidating the synergistic effects of SCR, DSC, and sustainability in dynamic supply chain settings. The study augments the existing theoretical frameworks by integrating the concepts of resilience, digitalization, and sustainability into a comprehensive model. Practical and economical, the research offers actionable guidance for organizations aiming to improve sustainability performance through resilient and digitally advanced supply chains. By acknowledging the role of supply chain dynamism, managers can tailor strategies to manage disruptions effectively and leverage digital innovations. Economically, adopting sustainable practices can result in cost savings and competitive advantages. The research emphasizes the importance of aligning supply chain strategies with sustainability goals to drive long-term value and societal impact.

Surveillance for Emerging and Reemerging Pathogens Using Pathogen Agnostic Metagenomic Sequencing in the United States: A Critical Role for Federal Government Agencies.

The surveillance and identification of emerging, reemerging, and unknown infectious disease pathogens is essential to national public health preparedness and relies on fluidity, coordination, and interconnectivity between public and private pathogen surveillance systems and networks. Developing a national sentinel surveillance network with existing resources and infrastructure could increase efficiency, accelerate the identification of emerging public health threats, and support coordinated intervention strategies that reduce morbidity and mortality. However, implementing and sustaining programs to detect emerging and reemerging pathogens in humans using advanced molecular methods, such as metagenomic sequencing, requires making large investments in testing equipment and developing networks of clinicians, laboratory scientists, and bioinformaticians. In this study, we sought to gain an understanding of how federal government agencies currently support such pathogen agnostic testing of human specimens in the United States. We conducted a landscape analysis of federal agency websites for publicly accessible information on the availability and type of pathogen agnostic testing and details on flow of clinical specimens and data. The website analysis was supplemented by an expert review of results with representatives from the federal agencies. Operating divisions within the US Department of Health and Human Services and the US Department of Veterans Affairs have developed and sustained extensive clinical and research networks to obtain patient specimens and perform metagenomic sequencing. Metagenomic facilities supported by US agencies were not equally geographically distributed across the United States. Although many entities have work dedicated to metagenomics and/or support emerging infectious disease surveillance specimen collection, there was minimal formal collaboration across agencies.

Car Pooling System

Traffic jams, pollution, and wasteful use of resources are just a few of the transportation-related issues that have arisen as a result of urbanization. Adapting sustainable transportation networks is crucial to address these issues, and carpooling is one of the most important tactics in this effort. To support the development of a sustainable transportation ecology in metropolitan areas, this abstract provides a thorough foundation for a carpooling system. Utilizing contemporary technology such as GPS monitoring, data analytics, and mobile applications, the suggested Carpooling System maximizes vehicle occupancy and reduces travel times by pairing drivers and passengers in the most efficient way possible. Ride-sharing experiences are made easy and convenient by the system's integration of user preferences, including routes, departure hours, and passenger compatibility. To further ease traffic congestion, minimize carbon emissions, and encourage the economical use of transportation resources, the Carpooling System was created with sustainability as its primary goal. The approach promotes widespread adoption and involvement by offering incentives like cost-sharing and awards for eco- friendly behavior. The Carpooling System not only improves the environment but also the social and economic spheres by increasing social connections, encouraging community involvement, and saving consumers money on commuting. The concept helps create more inclusive and resilient metropolitan communities by encouraging a shared mobility culture. The importance of including carpooling in the larger context of sustainable urban mobility is generally highlighted by this abstract. A realistic way forward for livable, equitable, and ecologically conscious cities in the face of rising urbanization and transportation issues is provided by the suggested Carpooling System, which embraces innovation, technology, and cooperative efforts.

Factor analysis of environmental effects in circular closed‐loop supply chain network design and modelling under uncertainty in the manufacturing industry

AbstractSustainable development and competitive advantage are impacted by strategic choices that maximize resource value and reduce waste. Numerous instances of thriving OEM remanufacturing can be observed, predominantly in the business‐to‐business domain. The significance of Closed‐Loop Supply Chain (CLSC) in generating value and managing the recovery process is widely acknowledged within the supply chain industry. Manufacturing companies now have to come up with green supply chain and process design strategies in response to recent changes in environmental regulations. This study designates the specific features of circular closed‐loop supply‐chain design considering end‐of‐life products. Uncertainty in various aspects, such as acquisition, processing, and market stages, is impeding the progress of circular economies and also sustainable development in closed‐loop supply chains (CLSCs). This has led to increased complexity in remanufacturing processes and decreased efficiency. To address this issue, the study proposes a comprehensive, integrative approach for establishing a sustainable CLSC network that adapts to fluctuating demand through a questionnaire analysis. Moreover, the study introduces a multi‐objective optimization model for a dual‐channel supply chain network, aiming to enhance the flow. This model considers both economic and environmental objectives to achieve a sustainable and efficient supply chain system. To determine the ideal circular closed‐loop supply chain (CLSC) network design, the research proposes linear programming model with mixed integer, where recovery can take place in one of three ways: through material recovery, component recovery, or product recovery. Numerous findings from a thorough analysis by data backup that inform CLSC managers of ways to improve product returns in terms of quantity and quality. To address the uncertainty problem, the research also developed the fuzzy credibility constraint technique with a Simulated Annealing algorithm. Using cutting‐edge methods, it is explored and compared how sensitivity analysis results, the impact of altering the problem parameters, and the performance of the suggested model respectively.

Interoperability for intelligent traffic management systems in smart cities

Intelligent traffic management systems (ITMS) are essential for safe and livable smart cities. However, achieving seamless interoperability between diverse devices and services is challenging due to the lack of universal open standards. This study examines different types of interoperability (syntactic, semantic, network, middleware, and security) and their relationships with ITMS in the smart city context. By discussing requirements, challenges, and potential standards, this research provides a comprehensive understanding of interoperability issues in ITMS. It highlights the importance of standardization and collaboration among stakeholders, including policymakers, urban planners, and technology providers, to achieve interoperability. Addressing these challenges can optimize ITMS performance and contribute to smarter, sustainable cities. The study categorically examines challenges and potential standards, offering a framework for future research and practice. By advancing our understanding of ITMS interoperability, this research facilitates improved traffic management and smarter city development, enhancing urban residents’ quality of life. It makes a significant contribution to the field by emphasizing the critical role of interoperability in effective traffic management systems and the advancement of smart cities. By addressing interoperability challenges, we can create safer, more efficient, and sustainable transportation networks, fostering the development of livable cities.

Retraction Note: Converging concepts of sustainability and supply chain networks: a systematic literature review approach.

Retraction Note: Converging concepts of sustainability and supply chain networks: a systematic literature review approach.

Energy-Efficient Device-to-Device Communications for Green Internet of Things Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle-Mounted Intelligent Reflecting Surface

The Internet of Things (IoT) serves as a crucial element in interconnecting diverse devices within the realm of smart technology. However, the energy consumption of IoT technology has become a notable challenge and an area of interest for researchers. With the aim of achieving an IoT with low power consumption, green IoT has been introduced. The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) represents a highly innovative approach for creating a sustainable green IoT network. UAVs offer advantages in terms of flexibility, mobility, and cost. Moreover, device-to-device (D2D) communication is essential in emergency communications, due to its ability to support direct communication between devices. The intelligent reflecting surface (IRS) is also a hopeful technology which reconstructs the radio propagation environment and provides a possible solution to reduce co-channel interference resulting from spectrum sharing for D2D communications. The investigation in this paper hence focuses on energy-efficient UAV-IRS-assisted D2D communications for green IoT. In particular, a problem of optimization aimed at maximizing the system’s average energy efficiency (EE) is formulated, firstly, by simultaneously optimizing the power coefficients of all D2D transmitters, the UAV’s trajectory, and the base station (BS)’s active beamforming, along with the IRS’s phase shifts. Second, to address the problem, we develop a multi-agent twin delayed deep deterministic policy gradient (MATD3)-based scheme to find a near-optimal solution, where D2D transmitters, the BS, and the UAV cooperatively learn to improve EE and suppress the interference. To conclude, numerical simulations are conducted to assess the availability of the proposed scheme, and the simulation results demonstrate that the proposed scheme surpasses the baseline approaches in both convergence speed and EE performance.

Taxonomy of key practices for a sustainable Last-Mile logistics network in E-Retail: A comprehensive literature review

ObjectiveThe growth of e-commerce has transformed last-mile logistics, with direct-to-consumer deliveries and frequent delivery failures. This has exacerbated pollution and congestion issues, negatively impacting urban life. Given this scenario, the present study aimed to develop a taxonomy that enables the design of a sustainable last-mile logistics network specifically tailored to the context of e-retail. MethodA systematic literature review was employed for collecting robust scientific research, with the PRISMA diagram used to represent the steps followed in this process. Content analysis was applied to categorize the sustainability practices identified in the literature, grouping them according to the last-mile logistics process. RelevanceThis research contributes to understanding the last-mile logistics field in the e-retail context and provides valuable insights for formulating sustainable strategies and practices to mitigate the negative impacts of e-retail growth on the urban environment and society’s quality of life. ResultsThe research presents a structured taxonomy with 31 categorized practices across last-mile logistics processes: fulfillment, transportation, and delivery modalities. The results indicate that a sustainable last-mile network includes consolidation centers, shared micro-depots, shared freight transportation, electric vehicles such as bicycles and tricycles, and the implementation of collection and delivery points (CDPs). Social/Management ContributionsThe taxonomy offers elements that may contribute to operational efficiency, environmental impact reduction, and improving society’s quality of life by providing practical guidelines for the sustainable management of last-mile logistics in the e-retail context.

Unveiling transportation disparities: investigating accessibility gaps in metropolitan cities using GIS—a case study of Alexandria, Egypt

IntroductionPublic transportation is essential to reduce pollution and traffic congestion in urban areas. However, in densely populated regions like Alexandria, characterized by high population density and limited road infrastructure, accessibility to diverse transportation options is crucial.MethodsThis study investigates the accessibility of public transportation modes, including railways and buses, and their interaction with informal transit. Questioning if public transportation alone will be sufficient for pedestrians or if the presence of informal transit is crucial, and whether all residents of Alexandria have their rightful accessibility for different transport modes, the goal was to establish an efficient and interconnected transportation network. A survey was conducted in cooperation with Transport for Cairo to investigate all transport routes throughout Alexandria, further using ArcGIS Pro to identify gaps in public transportation coverage.ResultsFindings revealed that public transportation alone is insufficient due to limited bus and railway coverage because of their fixed linear routes. Informal transit, like microbuses, plays a vital role in filling these gaps.DiscussionThe study emphasizes the need for a comprehensive and sustainable transportation network that considers both formal and informal transit. These insights can guide policymakers and urban planners in improving public transportation in Alexandria and similar cities worldwide.

Possibilities of applying the cluster approach in the study of the stability of the regional territorial organisation of production areas


 
 
 Various assessment criteria are applied to ensure the sustainability of production sites. These evaluation criteria are based on quantitative indicators and reflect the corrected performance of production areas. Adequate assessment analyses the territorial organisation of production areas, efficient operation, process management, etc. more clearly in the future, and makes it possible to conduct their comparative analysis. One of the methods of such an approach is the cluster. A cluster is a group of objects with similar properties. In English, cluster means bunch, gathering, concentration, and group. From this point of view, the for- mation of the infrastructure organised in connection with the production, which contributes to the increase of competitiveness between the production areas, and the application of an innovative cluster approach are required in this research work. This approach allows the creation of a new product, increases production efficiency, and helps form a sustainable production network. This article presents the analysis of the GDP in Azerbaijan in the period of 1995-2021 carried out taking into account the ratio of the AZN to the US dollar, calculates the volume of GDP per capita, determines the regional trend of economic development, and provides the variability of the dynamics in the fields of the economy in a related manner. Later, all these indicators were summarised, clustering was carried out, coefficient values of quantitative indicators for production areas were determined, and indicators of clustering of production areas for economic regions of Azerbaijan were calculated. Consequentially, the article concludes that the application of the regional cluster approach indicates the potential power of production enterprises, the scale of their activities, economic-geographical relations, etc., which makes it possible to increase regional competitiveness between production areas. Thus, the cluster approach determines competitive advantages related to the organisation and operation of production, stimulates regional development, and can also lead to an increase in revenues to the local budget.
 
 

Comparative Analysis of Sustainable Electrification in Mediterranean Public Transportation

The Mediterranean region is a hot spot for climate change, with transportation accounting for a quarter of global CO2 emissions. To meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a sustainable urban transport network is needed to cut carbon emissions and improve air quality. This study aims to investigate the electrification of public transport in both developed and underdeveloped countries by examining the existing public transport network of two modes of transportation (buses and trams) across the Mediterranean region. This study suggests that the electrification of public transportation could result in a significant additional demand for more than 200 GWh of electricity, depending on the size and congestion of the city. It also studies the potential reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through the electrification of buses. Results show that electrification significantly impacts decreasing GHG emissions, helping achieve SDG 13. Furthermore, a financial analysis was conducted to determine the feasibility of using different bus fuel technologies. Regarding economic benefits, electric buses are not consistently optimal solutions, and diesel buses can be advantageous. Our finding shows that, at a 5% discount rate, the diesel bus is most favorable for Marseille, and, as discount rates increase, the advantage of electric buses diminishes. However, the high purchase price of electric buses compared to diesel buses is currently a major obstacle in achieving SDG 11, particularly for developing countries.

Life Cycle Assessment of Exopolysaccharides and Phycocyanin Production with Arthrospira platensis

In the pursuit of sustainable solutions for contemporary environmental challenges arising from the increasing global demand for energy, this study delves into the potential of cyanobacteria, specifically Arthrospira platensis (commonly known as “spirulina”), as a versatile resource. Employing a life cycle assessment (LCA) in accordance with the ISO 14044:2006 standard and employing both midpoint and endpoint indicators, the study comprehensively evaluates environmental impacts. The research explored a range of scenarios, specifically investigating variations in light intensity and harvesting volume. These investigations were carried out using a pilot-scale photobioreactor, specifically an airlift reactor system featuring a horizontal tubular downcomer. The primary focus is on extracting valuable compounds, namely exopolysaccharides and phycocyanin. It emphasized the extraction of value-added products and strategic integration with a biogas plant for process heat, contributing to developing a sustainable supply network and offering insights into environmentally conscious algae cultivation practices with implications for renewable energy and the production of valuable products. The results emphasize the project’s potential economic feasibility with minimal energy impact from by-product extraction. The environmental assessment identifies marine ecotoxicity and fossil resource depletion as principal impacts, predominantly influenced by upstreaming and harvesting stages. After conducting comparisons across various scenarios, it was found that cultivations under higher light intensities have a lower environmental impact than cultivations with low light supply. However, regardless of light intensity, processes with shorter harvesting cycles tend to have a smaller environmental impact compared to processes with longer harvesting cycles. Overall, this research contributes a nuanced and realistic perspective, fostering informed decision-making in sustainable algae cultivation practices, with implications for renewable energy and valuable compound production.

OPTIMAL TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM FOR TRAFFIC CONGESTION

A smart city's traffic management system is regarded as one of its primary components. Traffic jams are a common sight on the roadways in metropolitan areas due to the rapid increase in population and urban mobility. In order to address road traffic management issues and assist authorities with appropriate planning, an intelligent traffic management system utilizing the Yolo algorithm and Open CV approach is proposed in this project. A workable model for counting automobiles in traffic was developed using image processing as the basis. image processing methods classified and tallied moving vehicles in traffic scene video streams captured by stationary cameras. The following is the detection and tracking methodology. The adaptive background subtraction technique is initially used to separate the moving vehicles from the traffic scene. Using videos to isolated picture blobs are recognized as individual vehicles once the background is subtracted. Following blob identification, vehicles in a certain area are counted and classified. A count of vehicles was observed with an accuracy of ideal camera calibration. To support the goal, data is gathered from video footage of vehicles traveling toward and away from the camera in order to count and use signal switching. The created system's results demonstrate that, with more enhancements, it applicable to count and categorize vehicles in real-time. After that, an optimization framework makes use of these predictions to dynamically modify signal timings in response to shifting traffic conditions. The optimization method seeks to increase overall traffic flow efficiency, decrease delays, and shorten travel times. To sum up, utilizing real-time traffic data to optimize signal control presents a viable approach to improving urban traffic management. This method makes use yolo techniques to facilitate the creation of flexible and effective traffic control, which in turn helps to create more sustainable and seamless urban transportation networks. KEYWORDS: Image classification, Video tracking, Information analysis, Vehicle detection, Signal Switching.

Assessing the sustainability of the European Green Deal and its interlin kages with the SDGs

The European Green Deal (EGD) is the growth strategy for Europe, covering multiple domains, and aiming to an equitable, climate neutral European Union by 2050. The UN Agenda 2030, encompassing 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), establishes the foundation for a global sustainability transition. The integration of the SDGs into the EGD is an overlooked issue in the literature, despite Europe’s slow progress to achieve the sustainability targets. We employed a machine-learning text-mining method to evaluate the extent of SDG integration within the 74 EGD policy documents published during 2019–2023. The findings reveal a substantial alignment of EGD policies with SDGs related to clean energy (SDG7), climate action (SDG13), and sustainable consumption and production (SDG12). In contrast, there is a significant underrepresentation in areas related to social issues such as inequalities, poverty, hunger, health, education, gender equality, decent work, and peace, as indicated by lower alignment with SDGs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, and 16. Temporal trends suggest a marginal increase in the attention given to environmental health (especially water and marine life) and gender equality. Furthermore, we illustrate the alignment of EGD policies with the six essential sustainability transformations proposed by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) in 2019 for the operationalization of the SDGs. The results indicate that besides the prevalence of “Energy Decarbonization and Sustainable Industry”, all areas have received attention, except for the “Health, Wellbeing and Demography”. The findings call for a more integrated approach to address the complete spectrum of sustainability in a balanced manner.

A Multi-Objective Model for Designing a Sustainable Closed-Loop Supply Chain Logistics Network

Background: The growing concern for environmental and social issues has led to a focus on designing sustainable supply chains and increasing industrial responsibility towards society. In this paper, a multi-objective mixed-integer programming model is presented for designing a sustainable closed-loop supply chain. The model is aimed at the minimization of the total cost with the total used facilities, the negative environmental impacts, and the maximization of the positive social impacts. Methods: The epsilon-constraint method is utilized for solving the model and further extracting the Pareto solutions. Results: The result of the research clearly shows an optimal trade-off between the conflicting objectives, where, by paying more attention to the social and environmental aspects of sustainability, the total costs are increased or by optimizing the number of facilities, a better balance between the dynamics associated with the short-term and long-term goals is reached. The results of the sensitivity analysis also show that increasing the demand of the supply chain has the greatest impact on the supply chain costs compared to other objectives. Conclusions: Consequently, investigating such comprehensive sustainable objectives provides better insights into the impact of design variables on the expectations of stakeholders.

Suitable law-based location selection of high-power electric vehicles charging stations on the TEN-T core network for sustainability: a case of Poland

With the upcoming implementation of the amendment to Regulation (EU) 2019/631 of the European Parliament and of the Council, from 2035 there will be a ban on the registration of new vehicles with internal combustion engines (ICE) in the Member States of the European Union (EU). Consequently, changes in the transportation sector, resulting from the increasing use of electric vehicles, appear to be inevitable. According to the adopted legal acts, the European Union Member States will be obliged to develop, among others, a charging infrastructure and access to public charging stations for electric vehicles. As a result, there will be a need to ensure a significant increase in the power and the number of charging stations and to determine their appropriate location. The article presents the challenges faced by charging station operators and difficulties related to the further development of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in Poland. The still poorly developed public charging infrastructure for electric vehicles, especially in service areas located along the main communication routes, remains the main obstacle to the development of electromobility. In the context of legal, financial, technological, and organizational challenges, the problem of the proper distribution of electric vehicle charging stations along the main communication routes is therefore of particular importance. The aim of the article is to present a new, proprietary method for determining the location of electric vehicle charging stations in Poland within the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), which considers objective location factors: adherence to AFIR requirements, the specificity of the Polish power system and existing parking infrastructure. As a result of using the developed method, a list of 188 recommended locations for the construction of electric vehicle charging stations in Poland along the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) was created. It has been shown in this way that the use of the presented method enables the suitable determination of the location of electric vehicle charging stations along transport routes, considering legal, financial, and technological requirements, which will significantly facilitate the operation of zero-emission transport.

Territory in urban food policies: the case of Spain

Over the last few decades, cities have taken on an active role in the formulation of food policies in line with the transition toward local, sustainable food systems. These policies have been materialized through the formulation of systemic, holistic urban food strategies. By setting up spatial, relational and organizational proximity circuits, they aim to reconnect the places involved in the production and consumption of food within the territory. The objective is to do so by interaction between the networks of actors on the different geographical scales. This article analyzes the food policies of six Spanish cities that signed the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact. Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia, Vitoria, Valladolid and Zaragoza have fulfilled their promise by formulating food strategies that set out their commitment to the construction of new, urban food systems that reconsider, from a territorial perspective, the relationship between the city and food. Using a conceptual framework that spans two well-known theoretical systems (the local territorial systems (LoTS) and the sustainable food networks (SFN)); a systematic review of the documents generated in the formulation of the urban food policies is carried out. The territorial capital linked to food is examined; the systems of actors that make up the food strategies are identified; the models of governance that the said strategies deploy and their capacity for self-organization are typified; and the potential of the public agendas for encouraging the construction of localized alternatives and the territorial sustainability of the urban food systems are evaluated. The results suggest that the Spanish urban food strategies, although conceptually inspired by the principles of the Milan Pact, are still far from possessing similarly transformative capacities. Such capacities are directly linked to the characteristics of the place: the existence of relational goods connected to food, the attributes of the territorial food capital, the density of the social capital, and the culture of the territorial planning. Beyond the generic references to the commitment to food, it is the context that determines its personality and reach, the solidity of the food governance, and the political sustainability of the processes that one wishes to set up.