by Walther Ploos van Amstel
Availability of loading and unloading zones is critical for reducing urban transport times and costs of last mile operations, improving planning, as well as for improving city sustainability, road safety, and livability.
McKinsey presents an updated outlook for the last-mile delivery ecosystem, given the rapid development in technology. How will technological advances affect unit economics, customers, and competitive dynamics? McKinsey sees examples of technology piloting and testing across the globe. But they also see the beginning of series productions and scaling of technology deployment by several companies.
Truck traffic today is generating congestion and is responsible for a disproportionate share of transport externalities. For example, while trucks may only represent a small share of the traffic in urban areas, they generate more than half of overall emissions for specific contaminants.
We are seeing a growing body of research into last-mile logistics for delivery of products in cities. The growing congestion of cities and the explosion in e-commerce home delivery have challenged traditional last-mile logistics strategies that have focused on point-of-sale delivery. “In the city, shipments are typically much smaller and more fragmented than in regional transport,” …
Automated systems enabling customers to pick-up e-purchased goods from designated 24/7 Parcel Locker pickup points are proliferating. While they offer the promise of improved access to goods and reduced travel for consumers and delivery vehicles, the integration of these systems in cities, and their impact on access, generally and by mode are understudied.
Crowd logistics is an opportunity for logistics service providers intending to improve customer service, reduce costs, and satisfy their customers. Companies should be asking themselves, “how else can the consumer acquire and use the types of goods or services I currently provide and how might I innovate to capitalize on these possibilities?”.
Crowd logistics is an alternative to traditional home deliveries by parcel companies and is believed to be more sustainable. The idea of crowd logistics is that parcels and passengers are co-transported along a passenger trip that was intended to be made for another purpose.
A new publication presents the results of the LEFV-LOGIC project: a two-year research into the use of light electric freight vehicles for city logistics. In this project Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences and HAN University of Applied Sciences, together with logistics service providers, shippers, vehicle suppliers, network organizations, knowledge institutions, …
The growth in urban population and economic upturn is leading to higher demand for construction, repair and renovation works in cities. Houses, public utilities, retail spaces, offices and infrastructure need to adapt to cope with the increasing number of residents and visitors, urban functions and changing standards.
A new report presents the results of the Amsterdam AMS Stimulus Project ‘Green Junkie: Plant-powered air cleaning’. In this project, the authors tested the idea that a specially developed plant named Green Junkie could increase air quality along roads intensively used for car traffic.