Urban logistics research gives way to cleaner and better organized cities
Efficient urban logistics leads to economic savings, cleaner air, better trade and more comfortable cities to live in. Moreover, urban logistics can be an important market for the development of innovation, leading to economic growth for companies and for the territories. The EU-funded DOROTHY (Development of regional clusters for research and implementation of environmental friendly urban logistics) project brought together four urban regions in Europe to advance innovation and research in the field. Under the project, the teams from the four regions – Tuscany in Italy, Valencia in Spain, Greater Lisbon/Vale do Tejo in Portugal and Oltenia in Romania – worked very closely together. They strove to improve urban logistics through innovation, to the benefit of the economy. To achieve its aims, the consortium worked on creating local clusters and linking with key stakeholders such as local administration, industry, logistics operators and academia. The clusters were designed to support future requirements and overcome challenges through enhanced policymaking and funding. The project team supported this aim with the development of a Joint Action Plan involving holistic growth strategies for the clusters. This was achieved by developing and implementing research initiatives, educational drives and collaborative projects, as well as relevant products and services. More specifically, the Joint Action Plan involved articulating objectives and designing an urban logistics framework. It defined specific actions that outlined stakeholders and their links to regional policies. The plan also considered pivotal issues such as impact evaluation, including environmental, economic, social and urban impacts. Drivers and barriers were also documented, and a financial plan to implement relevant actions was successfully finalised. Once it was completed, the action plan was shared with all stakeholders in the regions involved, as well as on a national and international scale. The clusters then began operation on several fronts, including internationalisation of related small and medium-sized enterprises. This led to improved urban logistics, which in turn has given way to positive socioeconomic effects, a reduction in pollution and an introduction of new technologies that have made life easier for people in the concerned regions.
Keywords
Urban logistics, cities, DOROTHY, pollution, clusters
