by Walther Ploos van Amstel
In the last few years, the issue of the location of logistics activities emerged in the literature, in Europe, and in the US, especially from the perspective of logistics spatial dynamics as logistics sprawl. These issues of spatial dynamics question urban policies because they underline the lack of interest in freight in the planning process.
Driving an electric vehicle is now a viable option in an increasing number of European countries but some markets are decidedly more prepared than others. Research carried out by LeasePlan for its EV Readiness Index 2019 looked at the maturity of the EV market (also including plug-in hybrids), the maturity of EV infrastructure, government incentives …
Many new residential areas are in the urban planning pipeline. Vital neighborhoods with a good balance between working, living and relaxing. Attractive car-free neighborhoods where active, safe and healthy walking and cycling are the new standard.
A study by Capgemini’s in-house digital think tank has revealed that 97% of retailers believe that existing methods of last-mile delivery options are not sustainable. Companies in the food and grocery segment have to catch up with consumer demand for better and faster last-mile delivery services while at the same time mitigating associated profitability risks.
In the evenings between 6 and 9 pm, hundreds of meal attendants make residential areas unsafe on their scooters and bicycles. Home meal delivery drivers on scooters drive more dangerous than other scooter riders. Data from Dutch Veilig Verkeer Netherlands (VVN) show that they are even six times more likely to be involved in road accidents.
An experiment in smart city design is being proposed in Toronto. Sidewalk Labs (Google affiliate) is partnering with Waterfront Toronto to create a mixed-use community on a 12-acre site east of downtown with innovative concepts in local deliveries, waste collection and construction logistics.
Successful delivery consolidation strategies could be a trade-off between transshipment and distribution costs, externalities, the interest of stakeholders and the formulation of required and supporting regulations and incentives.
Growing urban markets provide healthy prospects for omnichannel retailing. With limited household storage capacity, parking for vehicles, or shopping time, newer city dwellers are prime candidates for rapid omnichannel fulfillment.
A paper by the European Federation for Transport and Environment looks at the potential of battery electric heavy-duty trucking in the EU, in particular for the more difficult long-haul segment, by analyzing the technical feasibility, regulatory and market enablers and inhibitors, together with environmental impacts.
A new paper by Sheffield University Management School progresses the discourse on hydrogen vehicles as viable strategic options for addressing sustainability concerns in city logistics, by undertaking a comprehensive total cost of ownership analysis. The outcomes from this study not only support the economic competitiveness of hydrogen vehicles but also analyze the implications of several future …