New guide on Urban Logistics Hubs aims to deliver sustainable freight transport for cities

The International Transport Forum has published a new report on “urban logistics hubs” aimed at planners and local authorities, promoting the benefits and best practice guidelines for implementing sustainable logistics in cities.

The transport sector is currently responsible for 23 % of global energy-related CO₂ emissions, with freight transport comprising 8 % of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Urban logistics hubs offer a solution to the challenge of ensuring sustainable, clean, and efficient logistics within cities by connecting global supply chains with local distribution networks and separating urban and non-urban traffic. By transferring goods from heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) and freight trains to smaller interurban vehicles, air pollution, congestion, and GHG emissions from last-mile deliveries can be significantly reduced, while unlocking public space previously dedicated to HGVs for unloading.

The report explores how the approach to designing hubs must reflect the high demand for urban space, particularly for affordable housing and commercial units. Hubs should be designed to maximise capacity while minimising land use, including using high-rise or underground buildings and allowing access to shared facilities such as charging stations and rest facilities for drivers. Mixed-use developments, where logistics spaces are combined with commercial or recreational services, and temporary hubs are also highlighted as ways to balance the need for urban hubs with local land-use shortages.

The responsibilities for delivering urban hubs are recommended to be split between the public sector, which is best placed to govern and regulate the hubs, and the private sector, which has the expertise to lead construction, operation, and management of the logistics hubs. Planning authorities should be tasked with producing best practice guidelines and applying relevant policies while avoiding increased costs for operators and customers.

Moreover, Parnika Ray, co-author of the report, highlighted the need for local authorities to have “adaptive policies that align with community interests” during an online “Ask the Author” event. In particular, Paris was showcased due to the adoption of 12-year lease policies, where logistics hubs must be designed to be easily dismantled following each lease if the requirements of the local area necessitate a change in land use.

The full report is available on the ITF website here.

The online report Q&A event can be accessed here.

Author: Andrew King

Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and do not reflect those of the European Commission.