R!sult (Responsive Sustainable Urban Logistics)

The goal of this project is to work out and validate a versatile and generic logistics concept for optimized city deliveries. Important aspects are smart applications and combinations of logistic modes in addition to providing and utilizing storage and cross-dock capacity (micro warehouses) within the city.

VIL wants to create a model for sustainable as well as economic city logistics that is beneficial to all stakeholders (producers, cities, logistic service providers, traders and citizens). To accomplish this objective, it is important to consider the use of the right transportation modes and their most favorable combinations, the capacity per mode of transport, ideal routes, storage, cross-dock capacity, and the impact on costs and the environment.

Opportunities

The accumulated knowledge, the model and teh roadmap provide opportunities for all inductrial companies involved (shippers, logistic service providers) and the possibility to optimize the supply chains and to build innovative services concerning city logistics.

This project will become a source for the involved stakeholders to organize the distribution of goods in a city environment efficiently, sustainably and socially responsible. The model will support the SULPs (Sustainable Urban Logistics Plans) in which cities, logistic service providers, and producers set the scene for urban logistics. VIL intends to apply the model to multiple cities or municipalities.

Results

• Last-mile B2B and B2C parcel deliveries in Flemish cities can be organized a lot more efficiently by consolidating the flows of goods in and out of the city by using Urban Distribution Centres (UDCs) at the edge of the city or a network of micro hubs inside the city center.
• The R!sult project developed a logistics process model that is widely applicable in different cities.
• The use of one UDC is enough to supply a city, with Antwerp being an exception.
• The location of a UDC is important: near primary and easily accessible roads where incoming traffic finds its way into the city, to minimize the extra kilometres to the UDC.
• A network of micro hubs has a higher cost, but it does allow better use of cargo bikes.
• The UDC model is very suitable for logistics service providers with a lower delivery density in the city because it is possible to reduce their costs by up to 30 % compared to the current delivery model. Better consolidation of the last mile offers a kilometer saving of 30 to 50 %.
• Cities have an important role in the transition to more sustainable and green parcel deliveries, both by outlining encouraging policies and by temporarily supporting new initiatives.
• Collaboration and knowledge sharing are the magic recipe for the future development of efficient and sustainable parcel deliveries.
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