by Walther Ploos van Amstel
A major peer-reviewed study published this week in Nature Cities maps last-mile delivery emissions across 365 Chinese cities using data from 14 billion orders and 1.9 million couriers. The research finds that order growth does not translate proportionally into emissions: an 83.5% increase in orders from 2023 to 2024 resulted in only a 31.3% rise …
Failed deliveries are one of the most stubborn headaches in urban logistics. The courier arrives, nobody’s home, and the whole costly cycle begins again: a second attempt, extra fuel, more emissions, and a frustrated customer. A new study published in Research in Transportation Economics (Escudero-Santana et al., 2026) takes a fresh angle on this problem: …
Last-mile delivery is a critical component of the logistics and supply chain industry, especially in densely populated urban areas like Mumbai. This study aims to analyze the key challenges affecting last-mile delivery efficiency and evaluate the role of technology and operational strategies in improving performance. Recent research was based on primary data collected through a structured survey of delivery personnel and consumers in Mumbai. Key factors such …
The introduction of zero-emission zones across Dutch city centers has triggered a wave of legal challenges from logistics operators and business owners. The outcomes offer important lessons for city logistics professionals navigating the transition to emission-free urban freight. Since 1 January 2025, 14 Dutch municipalities (including Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Utrecht) have implemented zero-emission zones that …
A new study published in the European Transport Research Review (Fernando et al., 2026) offers a comparative look at how shopping-related travel behavior has changed across France, Germany, Norway, and Switzerland from the early 2000s to the 2020s. For those working in city logistics, the findings are both reassuring and challenging. Fewer Trips, but Not …
City logistics research has a problem. Not a shortage of data, not a lack of clever algorithms, and not an absence of ambitious pilots. The problem is simpler and more stubborn: too much knowledge stays on the shelf. Reports get written, conferences get filled, and meanwhile, the delivery van is still double-parked on the bike …
Most discussions of city logistics focus on getting goods to people. The harder, less glamorous challenge is what happens when those goods reach the end of their useful life. Packaging, electronics, batteries, textiles — the volumes are enormous, growing with every e-commerce surge, and the urban infrastructure to handle them sustainably barely exists. A chapter …
Few logistics questions seem more mundane than where to put a parcel locker. Research papers in Urban Logistics Transformation (Springer, 2026) make a compelling case that this is actually one of the most consequential spatial planning decisions a city can make; touching on equity, emissions, local commerce, and the circular economy all at once. Location …
Urban freight is messy, fast-moving, and politically contentious. Deliveries compete with pedestrians for space, logistics providers compete with each other for efficiency, and city planners are left trying to regulate a system they can barely see. Digital twins (virtual replicas of city systems that can simulate, predict, and advise) are increasingly being positioned as the …
Cities are getting busier, more crowded, and increasingly strained by the consequences of e-commerce growth. According to recent estimates, urban freight traffic already accounts for around 25% of traffic emissions in major European cities and occupies more than 30% of available road capacity during peak hours. Without targeted intervention, these figures risk climbing even further. …