Background

The transport of goods impacts negatively on the environmental sustainability of cities. Next to greenhouse gas emissions also aspects such as congestion, noise, vibration and safety lead to this negative impact, which can be also observed within the South Baltic region.

Unsustainable City Logistics

CONGESTION

Typically, urban freight transport represents between 20 to 25% of road space contributing to between 10 to 20 % of urban road traffic.

POLLUTION

Within one hour, one van uses 6000 litres of oxygen. For comparison, an average deciduous tree produces 1200 litres of oxygen per hour and a person consumes about 30 litres of oxygen.

NOISE

Noise generated by freight vehicies in urban areas during the night is often regarded as a nuisance by residents because it disturbs their sleep.

ACCIDENTS

City authorities sometimes regard road freight vehicies, particularly HGVs, as being intimidating for pedestrians and cyclists due to their sheer size. There is also concern about the number of serious accidents involving freight vehicies and cyclists.

To be fossil fuel independent is one of the major challenges of our times. The transport sector plays an essential role in this regard and needs to be addressed in order to increase the efficiency and environmental sustainability of freight transportation. One concept to achieve this comprises the consolidation of goods at a distribution central (DC) with a focus on last mile/short distance transports from the DC to locations such as public units (schools, preschools, nursing homes etc.), business entities and other city users.