by Walther Ploos van Amstel
London has a congestion problem, a pollution problem, and an illegal e-bike problem. A newly launched coalition thinks a shared network of urban microhubs can tackle all three at once. The Urban Microhub Alliance (UMA) officially kicked off in London this week, uniting e-mobility operator Port with delivery firms and parking operators including Deliveroo, Apcoa, …
A comparative routing-based analysis shows that battery electric vehicles are most efficient for short and medium urban routes, while hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are better suited for longer inter-urban missions. Decoupled logistics models using micro-hubs and cargo bikes reduce curbside occupation by up to 80%, significantly improving public-space efficiency. Sustainable urban freight transitions require combining …
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 …
Cities are increasingly adopting zero-emission zones (ZEZs) as a core strategy to reduce local air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and road transport noise. While much of the policy and research attention has focused on passenger cars and heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), there is growing interest in the role of light electric freight vehicles (LEFVs), including …
As cities grow denser and online shopping continues to rise, the demand for efficient logistics is increasing rapidly. Urban space is limited, and logistics hubs offer a promising solution: they consolidate goods and enable zero-emission transport into city centers. Some hubs also support shared mobility. To explore viable models, the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences …
Many cities around the world are missing out on significant development opportunities by ignoring, underutilizing, or mismanaging their public-space assets. Yet there is enormous potential to use these spaces more strategically and to unlock the hidden value they generate for communities, neighborhoods, and cities as a whole. The World Bank’s report, The Hidden Wealth of …
The MoLo Hubs guideline report ‘Spatial planning & city design‘ has been published. The report defines considerations and good practices for spatial planning and city design and assists host partners in setting up their pilot. The report distinguishes two levels within the theme ‘spatial planning and city design’. Hubdesign: its appearance (design, materials, and visibility) …
Microdelivery-based city logistics platforms struggle to remain profitable. Boosting their efficiency will foster the usage of bikes instead of heavy vehicles. However, challenges related to riders’ unsafe behavior in traffic also need to be addressed. The SINERGI project aims to provide solutions that will help boost logistic operations that are both sustainable and safe. SINERGI …
The Logistics City Chair team published the digital version of the handbook n°3 of the “Welcome to Logistics City” series dedicated to urban and periurban logistics real estate. The development of logistics real estate adapted to professionals and respectful of the requirements of cities has gradually emerged as an adequate response. It allows for mobility optimization and the accelerated decarbonization …
Urban deliveries of goods have become a rising challenge due to the increase of online shopping and the traditional business-to-business (B2B) dynamics. To maintain a satisfactory level of service, carriers must conduct delivery operations under restrictive environments, creating undesirable externalities such as congestion and pollution. Urban micro-consolidation centers (UMCs) are defined as on-street or off-street …