by Walther Ploos van Amstel
For city logistics professionals, the question of where to focus last-mile investment has long been complicated by conflicting evidence. Do urban consumers drive demand for home delivery, or do rural consumers, who have less access to physical stores, rely on it more? A new study tracking US consumer behavior from 2010 to 2023 provides the …
Summary of: Kokkinou, A., Quak, H. & Mitas, O. (2026). “Leveraging fairness to nudge consumers towards more sustainable last mile delivery options.” Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives, 37, 101956. Every time a consumer clicks “next-day delivery,” they make a choice with real urban consequences; more vans, more congestion, more emissions. Getting consumers to voluntarily choose slower, …
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 …
The transition to zero-emission city logistics is not only about switching from diesel vans to electric ones. It’s also about rethinking the very vehicles we use. A recent study published in Future Transportation (2025) by Lucia Colonna, Edoardo Marcucci, Valerio Gatta, and Antonio Comi takes a deep look at one of the most promising alternatives …
Urban logistics is at a turning point. Today, last-mile operations already account for 30% of transport-related CO₂ emissions in cities. While the EU Green Deal targets a 50–55% reduction in emissions for vans and cars by 2030, many local authorities are also moving toward zero-emission zones to advance clean urban logistics. To address these challenges, …
A new research paper examines the views of 35 local authorities in England on potential solutions for decarbonizing last-mile parcel deliveries, focusing on the perceived challenges and drivers of implementation. Using co-design and participatory methods, the study engaged stakeholders with diverse expertise in a back-casting process to develop actionable strategies for reducing emissions. The proposed …
A new study presents a generic modeling framework that integrates agent-based models (ABM), specifically HUMAT and MASS-GT, to address the complexity of last-mile delivery (LMD) systems. This framework simulates and evaluates the dynamics of urban goods flow across different cities, focusing on consumer behavior and delivery logistics, which are crucial for optimizing LMD strategies. Key …
Last-mile operations (LMO), the processes involved in the critical last stage of delivering goods and services, are widespread across major economic sectors, including retail, food services, healthcare, humanitarian services, energy distribution, telecommunications, public services, and others. These operations account for many of these sectors’ costs, jobs, and economic output. Global economic output involving last-mile deliveries …
The rapid growth of e-commerce has transformed urban logistics, raising concerns about congestion, pollution, and the impact of delivery vehicles on city life. Some argue that home deliveries are overwhelming our streets and that pick-up points and cargo bikes are the ultimate solution. However, the reality is far more nuanced. Home delivery myths : One-size-fits-small? from …
To enhance customer satisfaction, e-retailers have prioritized last-mile e-grocery delivery services that incorporate time windows. However, the sustainability challenges associated with this approach necessitate an evaluation of its impact. A recent article aims to define a method for assessing the sustainability effects of time windows and apply it to a specific case study. Through desk …