Urban Freight Lab Research Goals
At the Urban Freight Lab, our objectives are rooted in improving the urban goods delivery system to make our cities more sustainable, efficient, and livable. We may pursue additional research projects outside the context of the membership that do not meet these goals directly.
The following goals were determined democratically in collaboration with our private members and partner public agencies and guide our focus in the working group.
Goal 1: Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions (ghg) from Urban Freight Transportation
A central goal of our work is to reduce urban freight-related carbon dioxide emissions, measured per package per hour.
Reaching this goal holds both environmental and economic implications:
- Minimizing the carbon footprint and climate impact of retailers and logistics providers
- Lowering costs for retailers, delivery companies, and potentially customers
- Helping cities reach climate action plans and goals
- Reducing pollutants and improving air quality
- Healthier local communities
Goal 2: Increase Urban Freight Efficiency
Another important goal involves optimizing the efficiency of goods delivery operations at the curb in urban environments. Reaching this goal holds both environmental and economic advantages:
- Meeting the surging demand for better, faster, more transparent goods delivery
- Increasing the productivity of loading zones
- Minimizing cruising time for parking and unauthorized parking by commercial vehicles
- Alleviating traffic congestion in cities
- Improving safety at curbs for pedestrians and drivers alike