How to integrate logistics requirements in the planning of urban quarters

Abstract

The supply of cities with goods often causes considerable negative, often even harmful effects in emissions, health, and the quality of life of the urban population. Cities are therefore striving to minimize these negative effects of urban logistics with various measures, be it infrastructural, organizational and/or technological. Particularly at the spatial level of a quarter/neighbourhood, it is becoming apparent that there is a lack of basic knowledge and practice in better integrating urban freight transport into planning processes and instruments. Also, the specifics of the local freight demand and target groups are often not sufficiently considered, leading to insufficient dimensioning, allocation, and service levels. In the LOGI-TOOLKIT research project we address this gap by taking an interdisciplinary look at the fields of logistics and urban planning, assessing the suitability, dimensioning, and implementation of various logistics measures in the urban environment while taking the local context into account. Based on knowledge from an in-depth desk research, combined with data analysis and stakeholder input, and building on existing tools, such as WiGiB or NOVELOG, we develop a prototypical toolkit – the LOGI-TOOLKIT - which is enabling an early and evidence-based integration of logistics measures into planning processes for planning practice, local administration, and real estate development. Taking the specific local context (freight demand and characteristics, built environment, socio-demographics, acceptance, etc.) into account, the tool provides planning bodies with categorized estimations on the local suitability and scale of logistics measures needed.