The challenges in sustainability of urban freight network design and distribution innovations: a systematic literature review

PurposeFreight network planning and the application of distribution innovations are popular fields of research on sustainable urban logistics. However, considerable research on freight network design lacks a comprehensive consideration of the application of distribution innovations. This observation implies that sustainable urban freight research appears highly fragmented in topics of network design and distribution innovations. From the perspective of long-term planning, this situation possibly serves as a barrier to further promotion of sustainability. The objective of this paper is to analyze existing research gaps of literature to further promote the sustainability of urban logistics systems from a future perspective.Design/methodology/approachThis paper employs a systematic literature review (SLR) method, which covers 164 papers and research works published in 2013–2018. The article corpus involved the innovative schemes of freight network design and the emerging delivery concepts in cities. Based on an analysis of articles' relevance, the most significant research contributions on both city logistics network design and exploitation of distribution innovations are detected.FindingsThis paper has found four research gaps in aspects of network design and distribution innovations. To respond to these gaps, we propose the research framework of sustainable and flexible future urban freight planning (SFFUFP) based on trends of city development, while discussing further research direction on urban freight planning.Originality/valueThe authors have found four research gaps in aspects of both urban freight network design and distribution innovations in which scholars could be encouraged to contribute. The research framework of SFFUFP can further promote sustainable urban logistics from a view of future management.

Transport Service Provider Perception of Barriers and Urban Freight Policies in Brazil

The aim of this paper is to analyze the perceptions of the transport service providers on the barriers in urban freight transport and the restrictions imposed on freight vehicles, identifying which urban freight transport policies can improve this activity in Brazil. Principal component analysis allowed us to identify which are barriers in urban cargo transport and the restrictions imposed on freight vehicles. In addition, we evaluated freight policies that can improve the activity using probabilistic preference. We obtained the database from a web-based survey of transport service providers in Brazil. The results indicate that the urban freight vehicle restriction is related to congestion and availability of loading and unloading areas. The freight vehicle restriction is a result of the lack of information and data. The theft of cargo significantly impacts urban freight transport. Transport service provider company perceptions indicate an urban mobility plan as the most-required freight policy to improve freight mobility. To reduce the barriers to urban freight planning, an understanding of the problem involving the stakeholders is needed. To do so, the challenge is to change the culture in the transportation planning process by integrating various actors to create an urban logistics plan that generates opportunities for the city.

Freight Performance Measurement in FAST Act-Mandated State Freight Plans

This paper reviews treatment of performance measures in state freight plans (SFPs) mandated under the FAST Act. This responds to the growing interest in freight performance measurement in government and industry, including concern for assuring supply chain performance to support the economy. To accomplish this, we collected 42 SFPs from state departments of transportation (DOT) websites and reviewed their treatment of freight performance measures in terms of describing and quantifying performance, granularity, multimodality, use of data and analytic methods, treatment of supply chains, and engagement of stakeholders through outreach. This assessment identified positive trends in freight planning practices such as addressing performance and supply chains in broad terms, identifying specific supply chains important to the state, forming freight advisory committees, and engaging them in the development of the freight plans. The novelty of the FAST Act mandate leaves room for further development of performance measurement in freight planning. Few states reached beyond the most readily available, free data, measuring what is most easily measured, and focusing on the highway system. There was limited consideration of supply chain performance. A list of good practices is offered, including selecting measures that are easily understood by key stakeholders, supported by readily available data, responsive to state needs and conditions, covering the most important modes in the state, timely, and appropriately granular to support specific choices.

Disconnects in Megaregional Freight Planning Are Holding Back the Louisiana Gulf Coast

The megaregion has emerged as the preferred unit of analysis for freight transportation and global trade. In the United States, trade and transportation barriers of state boundaries can impede the formation of megaregions, resulting in the hampering of economic development. As a preliminary investigation of the Gulf Coast megaregion, we performed a content analysis of the relationship between freight-related themes in the comprehensive and long-range plans for the metropolitan areas and the respective 11 parishes (counties) in southeastern Louisiana. Our results indicated a slight correlation between freight transportation infrastructure resources and theme frequencies in the histograms, but an overall lack of planning focus on freight infrastructure or trade capacities throughout the study area. Although freight transportation is becoming important federally, Louisiana state and local governments do not fully plan for it, leading to outdated transportation systems, inefficiency, and congestion.

Are Brazilian cities ready to develop an efficient urban freight mobility plan?

According to the Urban Mobility National Policy (UMNP), Brazilian cities with more than 20,000 inhabitants are obligated to elaborate Urban Mobility Plans (UMPs). The literature shows a lack of national research on urban freight planning and a need for better understanding issues on cargo transportation for authorities, especially regarding decision-making on policies and on urban freight transportation planning. City Logistics solutions can be considered on UMPs to reduce the problematic urban freight transport. Therefore, a survey was applied to investigate the resources available within cities to draw UMPs, the solutions for cargo movement in Brazilian cities, and the perceptions of public managers about freight transportation. The results show that “restrictions” are the solutions most adopted by Brazilian authorities, including the representative sample for cities within the São Paulo State with more than 250,000 inhabitants. The conclusions point out that Brazilian cities are not prepared to develop an efficient urban freight plan, as public managers seem to be unconscious about urban logistics demands within their cities or have neglected aspects regarding urban freight within the UMNP.

Application of Environmental Justice Analysis in a Statewide Freight Plan

Executive Order 12898 and subsequent U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) orders require all state DOTs to complete environmental justice analyses to identify disproportionately high and adverse effects of programs, polices, and activities on minority populations and low-income populations. Many analysis techniques have emerged in practice and academic literature, but no official guidance has designated a preferred analysis approach. The passage of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act introduced a number of new freight provisions for state DOTs, including a requirement to develop state freight plans to be eligible for funding through the National Highway Freight Program. This paper reviews the existing guidance for environmental justice analyses and documents the application of this guidance to an environmental justice analysis for the Minnesota Statewide Freight System Plan. The plan provides strategies and a policy framework for statewide freight stakeholders to guide planning efforts and investments in the state freight system. The paper concludes with a discussion of further considerations, strategies, and challenges facing freight planning practitioners in future freight environmental justice analyses.

Truck Activity Monitoring System for Freight Transportation Analysis

Understanding truck activity is an essential component of strategic freight planning and programming. However, recent studies have revealed a significant void in the availability of detailed truck activity data. Although some existing detectors are capable of providing truck counts by axle configuration, higher-resolution data that indicate truck body configuration, industry served, and commodity carried cannot be obtained from existing sensors. This paper presents the newly developed Truck Activity Monitoring System, which leverages existing in-pavement traffic sensors to provide truck activity data in California. Existing inductive loop detector sites were updated with inductive signature technology and advanced truck classification models were implemented to provide detailed truck count data with more than 40 truck body configurations. The system has been deployed to more than 90 detector locations in California to provide coverage at state borders, regional cordons, and significant metropolitan truck corridors. An interactive geographic information system website provides users with advanced visual analytics and access to archived data across all deployed locations. The case studies presented in this paper demonstrate the potential of the data obtained from this system in analyzing and understanding current and historical industry-specific truck activity.