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  • "Sustainable Freight"
    Sustainable transportation refers to low- and zero-emission, energy-efficient, and affordable modes of transporting freight, including electric and alternative-fuel vehicles, as well as domestic fuels.
Article
Published: 2024
Journal/Book: Journal of the American Planning Association
Summary:
Problem, research strategy, and findings The transportation sector is the largest contributor of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. To articulate how cities may combat rising emissions, municipalities throughout the country have produced climate action and sustainability plans that outline strategies to reduce their carbon footprints from transportation.
Paper
Published: 2024
Journal/Book: Sustainability
Summary:
Commercial electric vehicles (EVs) have increasingly gained interest from urban freight companies in the past decade due to the introduction of economic and policy drivers. Although these factors promote urban freight electrification, some barriers hinder the transition to fully electric fleets, such as the significant monetary investment required to replace the current internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEV) and the lack of readily available electric freight vehicles.
Chapter
Published: 2023
Authors: Dr. Anne Goodchild, Michael Browne (University of Gothenburg)
Journal/Book: Handbook on City Logistics and Urban Freight
Summary:
Until recently, urban transport authorities often overlooked freight, concentrating their attention on the movement of people. Even when motivated to tackle urban freight, many city authorities find it difficult to mobilize their own resources, and address the complex set of differing views of a large variety of stakeholders. Historically, the role of city authorities, or local authorities within cities, has been confined largely to one of regulation as opposed to collaborative planning.
White Paper
Published: 2023
Summary:
The distribution of goods and services in North American cities has conventionally relied on diesel-powered internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. Recent developments in electromobility have provided an opportunity to reduce some of the negative externalities generated by urban logistics systems. Cargo e-bikes — electric cycles specially designed for cargo transportation — represent an alternative environmentally friendly and safer mode for delivering goods and services in urban areas.
Blog
Published: 2023
Journal/Book: Goods Movement 2030: An Urban Freight Blog
Summary:
A year and a half ago, our members decided to dig into four topics for the Goods Movement 2030 project (Electrification, Digital Transformation, Planning Streets for People and Goods, and Microfreight). They all — public and private sector alike — saw these areas as transformative.
Related Research Project:
Urban Freight in 2030
Blog
Published: 2023
Journal/Book: Goods Movement 2030: An Urban Freight Blog
Summary:
“Why deliver two-pound burritos in two-ton cars?” That’s the question posed by sidewalk delivery robot company Serve, which is delivering food in places like Los Angeles. Sure, using something other than a car for items like a burrito makes sense. But what about a sofa? Urban delivery is all about right-sizing, context, and connecting logically and efficiently to the broader delivery network.
Related Research Project:
Urban Freight in 2030
Article, Special Issue
Published: 2022
Authors: Dr. Anne Goodchild, Michael Browne (University of Gothenburg)
Journal/Book: Research in Transportation Business & Management (RTBM)
Summary:
To address the accessibility and sustainability challenges of urban logistics it is important to consider urban logistics from a number of perspectives. This includes considering: spatial context i.e. not focusing solely on the urban center or core but also in terms of actions taken in broader logistics and supply chain management. stakeholders i.e. including all key decision makers and constituents.
Published: 2022
Journal/Book: International Conference on Transportation and Development 2022
Summary:
Green loading zones (GLZs) are curb spaces dedicated to the use of electric or alternative fuel (“green”) delivery vehicles. Some US cities have begun piloting GLZs to incentivize companies to purchase and operate more green vehicles. However, there are several questions to be answered prior to a GLZ implementation, including siting, potential users, and their willing to pay.
Presentation
Published: 2022
Journal/Book: 9th International Urban Freight Conference, Long Beach, May 2022
Summary:
While several stakeholders in the private and public sectors are taking actions and drafting roadmaps to achieve sustainable urban freight goals, the urban freight ecosystem is a complex network of stakeholders, achieving such sustainability goals requires the collaboration and coordination between multiple agents. Researchers collected and synthesized views from both the private and public sectors on what is needed to sustainably deliver the last mile and identify roadblocks towards this goal.
Presentation
Published: 2022
Journal/Book: 9th International Urban Freight Conference, Long Beach, May 2022
Summary:
Micro-consolidation implementations and pairing with soft transportation modes offer practical, economic, environmental, and cultural benefits. Early implementations of micro consolidation practices were tested but cities need to understand their implications in terms of efficiency and sustainability. This study includes a research scan and proposes a typology of micro-consolidation practices.
Paper
Published: 2022
Journal/Book: Sustainability
Summary:
While freight transportation is a necessary activity to sustain cities’ social and economic life—enabling the movement and deployment of goods and services in urbanized areas—it also accounts for a significant portion of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The urban freight ecosystem is a complex network of agents, both public and private.
Paper
Published: 2022
Journal/Book: Proceedings of American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Transportation and Development Conference 2022: Transportation Planning and Workforce Development
Summary:
(This project is part of the Urban Freight Lab’s Technical Assistance Program, where UFL contributes to the project by providing 1:1 match funds in terms of staff and/or research assistants to complete project tasks.) Green Loading Zones (GLZs) are curb spaces dedicated to the use of electric or alternative fuel (“green”) delivery vehicles. Some U.S. cities have begun piloting GLZs to incentivize companies to purchase and operate more green vehicles.
Report
Published: 2022
Summary:
In an effort to reduce emissions from last-mile deliveries and incentivize green vehicle adoption, The New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) is seeking to implement a Green Loading Zone (GLZ) pilot program. A Green Loading Zone is curb space designated for the sole use of “green” vehicles, which could include electric and alternative fuel vehicles as well as other zero-emission delivery modes like electric-assist cargo bikes.
Report
Published: 2022
Summary:
Just as there has been a push for more climate-friendly passenger travel in recent years, that same push is building for freight travel. At the same time ecommerce is booming and goods delivery in cities is rising, sustainability has become a policy focus for city governments and a corporate priority for companies. Why? Cities report being motivated to be responsive to residents, businesses, and the goals of elected leaders.