Urban logistics and freight transport

Urban logistics and freight transport are essential activities for cities and involve complicated interactions between the public and private sectors. Cities are growing and urban logistics is becoming more important. However, freight transport, storage, deliveries, loading, and unloading also create negative impacts related to energy use, emissions, noise, and safety. As a result, public authorities need to consider a wide range of initiatives to mitigate these impacts and to ensure that urban logistics can function efficiently. This chapter outlines the main features of urban logistics and considers seven categories of initiatives where the public and private sector interact. The categories are illustrated with examples from cities and projects on an international level, drawing on the increasing level of research interest in this field