Tag «city logistics»

Rerouting the Last Mile: How Workers Shape Sustainable Urban Logistics

The last mile is undergoing a rapid technological shift. Logistics companies are electrifying their fleets and deploying new digital systems for routing, tracking, and delivery management. Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly built into these systems, promising lower emissions, shorter distances, reduced fuel use, and lower operating costs. But Hanbit Chang’s dissertation, Rerouting the Last-Mile: Contested …

Sustainable City Logistics in: Advances in Transport Policy and Planning

Walther Ploos van Amstel, Bram Kin, Hans Quak, Nilesh Anand, and Ron van Duin are proud to present their latest book chapter, ‘Sustainable city logistics‘, which provides a literature overview of modalities in city logistics. Cities are rapidly moving from van- and truck-dominated freight toward multimodal, low-emission logistics systems. Alongside electric vans and trucks, previously …

Light electric freight vehicles in zero-emission zones: reshaping urban logistics and space

As cities introduce zero-emission zones, urban logistics is undergoing a fundamental transformation. This study examines how light electric freight vehicles (LEFVs) are being integrated into last-mile delivery in the Netherlands and how this transition reshapes logistics operations, urban infrastructure, and governance. Rather than focusing solely on vehicle technology, the paper highlights the organisational and spatial …

The economics of cargo bikes in city logistics: applications and business models

Growing pressure to decarbonise urban freight has intensified interest in cargo bikes as a low-emission alternative to conventional delivery vehicles. Grubmüller and colleagues provide a structured overview of how cargo bikes are currently used in logistics and of the emerging business models around them. Rather than focusing solely on environmental benefits, the paper examines the …

AI and LEFVs in City Logistics: Evidence from a Lisbon Last-Mile Case Study

The rapid growth of e-commerce has placed unprecedented pressure on last-mile logistics, now one of the most expensive and environmentally impactful segments of the supply chain. In response, Ferreira and Esperança (2025) investigate how integrating electric vehicles (EVs) and artificial intelligence (AI) can jointly transform urban delivery systems into more efficient, sustainable operations. Their study …

What is the value of urban logistics by water?

Amsterdam maps the business case for waterborne urban logistics: it is not automatically a ‘no-regret’ option. The City of Amsterdam has been exploring for several years whether water transport can play a larger role in urban logistics. A recent exploratory cost–benefit analysis compared the societal and financial impacts of waterborne transport with road transport and …

The Customer, Not the Government, Will Decide the Future of City Logistics

City logistics is poised for major growth. Over the next decade, the city logistics market in the Netherlands is expected to grow from roughly €10–12 billion to €20–25 billion, with significantly higher-value-added services. This is no longer a niche play, but a full-fledged market with its own dynamics. And in the debate about zero-emission zones, …

Amsterdam’s Circular Economy: A Spatial and Logistics Wake-Up Call

The Amsterdam metropolitan region faces a major spatial challenge. New housing, the energy transition, green infrastructure, and economic activity are all competing for scarce urban land. At the same time, the city aims to become fully circular by 2050. That immediately raises spatial questions: which circular functions are needed, how much space each requires, and …

Key takeaways from POLIS – ALICE Webinar Series 2025: City Logistics in the Circular Economy

On 9 December 2025, ALICE and POLIS jointly organised the members-only webinar “From Movers to Enablers: the role of logistics in circular supply chains”. The session brought together logistics experts, researchers, and city representatives to explore how logistics service providers can move beyond traditional transport roles and become key enablers of circular economy models. The webinar focused on the growing importance of reverse logistics in enabling reuse, repair, …

The Shift to Software-Defined Vehicles: Implications for City Logistics

McKinsey’s recent analysis of the automotive software and electronics landscape shows that the global automotive sector is undergoing a profound structural shift. Vehicles are rapidly evolving from primarily mechanical products into software-driven platforms. While the traditional automotive market grows at only around 1 percent annually, software and electronics are projected to grow by more than …