Cities are moving towards reducing car usage and emissions from deliveries. While home deliveries increased parcel volumes by 300% from 2014-2024, delivery vans make multiple stops per trip reducing additional vehicle trips compared to shopping. However, last mile deliveries impact neighborhoods, so future research themes include pick-up points, smaller electric vehicles, regulating zero emission zones, and planning intelligent infrastructure to facilitate efficient and safe deliveries while minimizing environmental impact.

1. WALTHER PLOOS VAN AMSTEL - MARCH 2024
HOGESCHOOL VAN AMSTERDAM
Zero impact home deliveries
One-size-fits-small?

2. Home deliveries myths
One-size-fits-small?
u Cities are moving to car free
u Home deliveries are killing our cities
u The streets are full with delivery vans
u Pick-up points and cargo bikes are
the ultimate solution
u E-commerce is not sustainable
u We exploit employees
u We need an Amazon tax
u What are future research themes?

3. Cities are moving to car free?
u Car free neighborhoods are more attractive
and valuable
u G40 cities: 30% of residents
u Less than one percent of deliveries are in a car
free or car low area, slowly increasing
u Focus on older inner cities and new residential
areas
u However car ownership and use are still
growing…

4. Are the streets full with delivery
vans?
u 5% of LCVs deliver parcels
5% of LCVs deliver food online
u 300% more parcels; 25-50% more vehicles (2014-2024)
u A delivery van delivers 150-250 parcels in one single trip
u Online deliveries lead to less shopping (car) traffic, but
do lead to nuisance and damage
u There is a lack facilities for safe deliveries in residential
areas
u Air pollution is no issue any more (energy transition is)
u But… maybe, we should start thinking about
collaboration: city logistics need to be zero impact

5. Regulating city logistics:
Zero emission zones

6. Regulating city logistics:
Zero emission zones
• Smart vehicle
• Smart planning
• Smart driving
• Smart energizing
• Smart financing
• Smart network

7. Regulating city logistics;
Urban planning

8. Regulating city logistics:
Intelligent access

9. Regulating city logistics;
Road safety and driver behavior

10. Pick-up points
u The rationale is that introducing pickup points
helps improve efficiency of delivery routes
because fewer customer homes have to be
visited, and more parcels are successfully
delivered at first attempt
u One of the aspects complicating the assessment
of pickup points is that it involves customer travel
behavior and that carbon emissions from
customer travel are challenging to model
u A study by TNO shows that vehicle miles (not
delivery vans) are reduced by 17% when 50% of
packages go to a pick-up point in a round trip

11. Is smaller better?
Not sure…
u Companies need more vehicles (expect for small parcels)
u LEFV’s are not cheaper
u Need for (expensive) micro hubs
u Drivers are reluctant
u Road safety is an issue:
urban planning - legislation
u Only for specific areas: 3 to 5 percent of shipments

12. We exploit employees

13. The Amazon tax?
u Classic retail is still a winner
u Footprint’ for online is better than
bricks-and-mortar
u Delivery tax?
Maybe, but then for everybody…
be careful what you wish for!

14. Circular shopping

15. Sharing is caring:
Valuable lessons
u Involving human talent in delivery
u Lessons learned from electrification
u Innovation in customer journey
u Smart(er) trip planning using open data
u Last mile solutions for future residential areas
u Future re-use, repair and recycle solutions

16. Road map for future networks