Empowering citizens' cognition and decision making in smart sustainable cities

© 2019 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes,creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works.Advances in Internet technologies have made it possible to gather, store, and process large quantities of data, often in real time. When considering smart and sustainable cities, this big data generates useful information and insights to citizens, service providers, and policy makers. Transforming this data into knowledge allows for empowering citizens' cognition as well as supporting decision-making routines. However, several operational and computing issues need to be taken into account: 1) efficient data description and visualization, 2) forecasting citizens behavior, and 3) supporting decision making with intelligent algorithms. This paper identifies several challenges associated with the use of data analytics in smart sustainable cities and proposes the use of hybrid simulation-optimization and machine learning algorithms as an effective approach to empower citizens' cognition and decision making in such ecosystemsPeer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Including social performance as a measure for resilient and green freight transportation

Whilst the literature shows a clear relation between institutional pressures (normative, coercive, mimetic) on the adoption of Resilient and Green Freight Transportation (RGFT) practices on the one hand, and economic, operational and environmental performance on the other, very few studies have considered the role of social performance (both society and employee-wise) in this equation. Social performance is currently under investigation as a potential success indicator in RGFT practice implementation. However, well-established models that include this social indicator still lack in the field. To this end, this research builds upon an institutional theory-based model which includes social performance as one of the decision-making factors in the industry. A sample of 107 freight transporters from South East Europe (SEE) provides the data to test several structural relations through path analysis. Results show that the three aforementioned institutional pressures positively impact on RGFT practice implementation. However, the relation is positive for all three pressures only when successful RGFT practice implementation has a moderating effect. Similarly, RGFT practice implementation positively impacts on social performance, through which as moderator, it also yields environmental and economic performance. Lastly, the results show that social performance positively impacts on economic and environmental performance. Overall, this study contributes to institutional theory and green supply chain management by demonstrating the need for including social performance as a success indicator in RGFT practice implementation. Ultimately, this study provides insights for industries and policymakers from SEE and comparable regions

Sustainable supply chain network design integrating logistics outsourcing decisions in the context of uncertainties

Les fournisseurs de services logistiques (3PLs) possèdent des potentialités pour activer les pratiques de développement durables entre les différents partenaires d’une chaîne logistique (Supply Chain SC). Il existe un niveau optimal d'intégration des 3PLs en tant que fournisseurs, pour s’attendre à des performances opérationnelles élevées au sein de toute la SC. Ce niveau se traduit par la distinction des activités logistiques à externaliser de celles à effectuer en interne. Une fois que les activités logistiques externalisés sont stratégiquement identifiées, et tactiquement dimensionnées, elles doivent être effectuées par des 3PLs appropriés afin d’endurer les performances économiques ; sociales ; et environnementales de la SC. La présente thèse développe une approche holistique pour concevoir une SC durable intégrant les 3PLs, dans un contexte incertain d’affaires et politique de carbone. Premièrement, une approche de modélisation stochastique en deux étapes est suggérée pour optimiser à la fois le niveau d'intégration des 3PLs, et le niveau d'investissement en technologies sobres au carbone, et ce dans le contexte d’une SC résiliente aux changements climatiques. Notre SC est structurée de façon à capturer trois principales préoccupations du Supply Chain Management d’une entreprise focale FC (e. g. le fabricant) : Sécurité d’approvisionnement, Segmentation de distribution, et Responsabilité élargie des producteurs. La première étape de l'approche de modélisation suggère un plan stochastique basé sur des scenarios plus probables, afin de capturer les incertitudes inhérentes à tout environnement d’affaires (e. g. la fluctuation de la demande des différents produits ; la qualité et la quantité de retour des produits déjà utilisés ; et l’évolution des différents coûts logistiques en fonction du temps). Puis, elle propose un modèle de programmation stochastique bi-objectif, multi-période, et multi-produit. Le modèle de programmation quadratique, et non linéaire consiste à minimiser simultanément le coût logistique total espéré, et les émissions de Gaz à effet de Serre de la SC fermée. L'exécution du modèle au moyen d'un algorithme basé sur la méthode Epsilon-contraint conduit à un ensemble de configurations Pareto optimales d’une SC dé- carbonisée, avant tout investissement en technologie sobre au carbone. Chacune de ces configurations sépare les activités logistiques à externaliser de celles à effectuer en interne. La deuxième étape de l'approche de modélisation permet aux décideurs de choisir la meilleure configuration de la SC parmi les configurations Pareto optimales identifiées. Le concept de Prix du Carbone Interne est utilisé pour établir un plan stochastique du prix de carbone, dans le cadre d'un régime de déclaration volontaire du carbone. Nous proposons un ensemble des technologies sobres au carbone, dans le domaine de transport des marchandises, disposées à concourir pour contrer les politiques incertaines de carbone. Un modèle stochastique combinatoire, et linéaire est développé pour minimiser le coût total espéré, sous contraintes de l’abattement du carbone; limitation du budget, et la priorité attribuée pour chaque Technologie Réductrice de carbone (Low Carbone Reduction LCR). L'injection de chaque solution Pareto dans le modèle, et la résolution du modèle conduisent à sélectionner la configuration de la SC, la plus résiliente aux changements climatiques. Cette configuration définit non seulement le plan d'investissement optimal en LCR, mais aussi le niveau optimal d’externalisation de la logistique dans la SC. Deuxièmement, une fois que les activités logistiques à externaliser sont stratégiquement définies et tactiquement dimensionnées, elles ont besoin d’être effectuées par des 3PL appropriées, afin de soutenir la FC à construire une SC durable et résiliente. Nous suggérons DEA-QFD / Fuzzy AHP- Conception robuste de Taguchi : Une approche intégrée & robuste, pour sélectionner les 3PL candidats les plus efficients. Les critères durables et les risques liés à l’environnement d’affaires, sont identifiés, classés et ordonnés. Le Déploiement de la Fonction Qualité (QFD) est renforcé par le Processus Hiérarchique Analytique (AHP), et par la logique floue pour déterminer avec consistance l'importance relative de chaque facteur de décision, et ce, conformément aux besoins logistiques réels, et stratégies d'affaires de la FC. L’Analyse d’Enveloppement des Données (DEA) Data Envelopment Analysis conduit à limiter la liste des candidats, uniquement à ceux d’efficiences comparables, et donc excluant tout candidat moins efficient. La technique de conception robuste Taguchi permet de réaliser un plan d'expérience qui détermine un candidat idéal nommé 'optimum de Taguchi' ; un Benchmark pour comparer les 3PLs candidats. Par suite, le 3PL le plus efficient est celui le plus proche de cet optimum. Nous conduisons actuellement une étude de cas d’une entreprise qui fabrique et commercialise les fours à micro-ondes pour valider la modélisation stochastique en deux étapes. Certains aspects concernant l’application de l’approche sont reportés. Enfin, un exemple de sélection d’un 3PL durable pour s’occuper de la logistique inverse est fourni, pour démontrer l'applicabilité de l'approche intégrée & robuste, et montrer sa puissance par rapport aux approches populaires de sélection.The Third-Party Logistics service providers (3PLs) have the potentialities to activate sustainable practices between different partners of a Supply Chain (SC). There exists an optimal level of integrating 3PLs as suppliers of a Focal Company within the SC, to expect for high operational performances. This level leads to distinguish all the logistics activities to outsource from those to perform in-house. Once the outsourced logistics activities are strategically identified, and tactically dimensioned, they need to be performed by appropriate 3PLs to sustain economic, social and environmental performances of the SC. The present thesis develops a holistic approach to design a sustainable supply chain integrating 3PLs, in the context of business and carbon policy uncertainties. First, a two-stage stochastic modelling approach is suggested to optimize both the level of 3PL integration, and of Low Carbon Reduction LCR investment within a climate change resilient SC. Our SC is structured to capture three main SC management issues of the Focal Company FC (e.g. The manufacturer) : Security of Supplies; Distribution Segmentation; and Extended Producer Responsibility. The first-stage of the modelling approach suggests a stochastic plan based scenarios capturing business uncertainties, and proposes a two-objective, multi-period, and multi-product programming model, for minimizing simultaneously, the expected logistics total cost, and the Green House Gas GHG emissions of the whole SC. The run of the model by means of a suggested Epsilon-constraint algorithm leads to a set of Pareto optimal decarbonized SC configurations, before any LCR investment. Each one of these configurations distinguishes the logistics activities to be outsourced, from those to be performed in-house. The second-stage of the modelling approach helps the decision makers to select the best Pareto optimal SC configuration. The concept of internal carbon price is used to establish a stochastic plan of carbon price in the context of a voluntary carbon disclosure regime, and we propose a set of LCR technologies in the freight transportation domain ready to compete for counteracting the uncertain carbon policies. A combinatory model is developed to minimize the total expected cost, under the constraints of; carbon abatement, budget limitation, and LCR investment priorities. The injection of each Pareto optimal solution in the model, and the resolution lead to select the most efficient climate resilient SC configuration, which defines not only the optimal plan of LCR investment, but the optimal level of logistics outsourcing within the SC as well. Secondly, once the outsourced logistics are strategically defined they need to be performed by appropriate 3PLs for supporting the FC to build a Sustainable SC. We suggest the DEA-QFD/Fuzzy AHP-Taguchi Robust Design: a robust integrated selection approach to select the most efficient 3PL candidates. Sustainable criteria, and risks related to business environment are identified, categorized, and ordered. Quality Function Deployment (QFD) is reinforced by Analytic Hierarchic Process (AHP), and Fuzzy logic, to consistently determine the relative importance of each decision factor according to the real logistics needs, and business strategies of the FC. Data Envelopment Analysis leads to shorten the list of candidates to only those of comparative efficiencies. The Taguchi Robust Design technique allows to perform a plan of experiment, for determining an ideal candidate named ‘optimum of Taguchi’. This benchmark is used to compare the remainder 3Pls candidates, and the most efficient 3PL is the closest one to this optimum.We are currently conducting a case study of a company that manufactures and markets microwave ovens for validating the two-stage stochastic approach, and certain aspects of its implementation are provided. Finally, an example of selecting a sustainable 3PL, to handle reverse logistics is given for demonstrating the applicability of the integrated & robust approach, and showing its power compared to popular selection approaches. Keywords:Third Party Logistics; Green Supply Chain design; Stochastic Multi-Objective Optimization; Carbon Pricing; Taguchi Robust Design

How to monitor sustainable mobility in cities? Literature review in the frame of creating a set of sustainable mobility indicators

The role of sustainable mobility and its impact on society and the environment is evident and recognized worldwide. Nevertheless, although there is a growing number of measures and projects that deal with sustainable mobility issues, it is not so easy to compare their results and, so far, there is no globally applicable set of tools and indicators that ensure holistic evaluation and facilitate replicability of the best practices. In this paper, based on the extensive literature review, we give a systematic overview of relevant and scientifically sound indicators that cover different aspects of sustainable mobility that are applicable in different social and economic contexts around the world. Overall, 22 sustainable mobility indicators have been selected and an overview of the applied measures described across the literature review has been presented

Transforming European Metropolitan Regions

Transportation in urban areas, particularly metropolitan regions, generates congestion and vast greenhouse gas emissions, and thus imposes enormous challenges upon authorities in providing healthy living conditions and a supportive environment for businesses. Thus, the overall objective of the SMART-MR project was to support local and regional authorities in improving transport policies and providing sustainable measures for achieving resilient low-carbon transportation and mobility in metropolitan regions. To tackle this issue, ten project partners from eight metropolitan regions (Oslo, Gothenburg, Helsinki, Budapest, Ljubljana, Rome, Porto, and Barcelona) have shared their experience in transport and mobility planning by holding seven topically interrelated workshops. The goal of this publication is not to present all of the project results. It only focuses on the main lessons learned during the seven workshops.Promet v metropolitanskih regijah povzroča zastoje in velike količine toplogrednih plinov ter s tem nalaga velike izzive oblastem pri zagotavljanju zdravih življenjskih pogojev za prebivalce in podpornega okolja za razvoj gospodarstva. Tako je glavni cilj projekta SMART-MR podpreti lokalne in regionalne oblasti pri izboljšanju prometne politike in zagotavljanju trajnostnih ukrepov za dosego prožne nizkoogljične mobilnosti v metropolitanskih regijah. Za rešitev tega vprašanja je 10 projektnih partnerjev iz 8 metropolitanskih regij (Oslo, Göteborg, Helsinki, Budimpešta, Ljubljana, Rim, Porto in Barcelona) delilo svoje izkušnje s področja prometa in načrtovanja mobilnosti in v tem okviru organiziralo 7 delavnic. Namen publikacije ni predstaviti vseh rezultatov projekta, temveč se osredotoča zgolj na glavna sporočila, ki jih prikazujemo v obliki osmih korakov za vodenje sprememb

Synchro-Modality and Slow Steaming: New Business Perspectives in Freight Transportation

The logistics sector faces substantial challenges in meeting customer demands for higher service quality, speed and flexibility under conditions of continued growth in world trade and worldwide transportation movements, increasing distances and vulnerabilities of the supply chain. Additional challenges relate to the economic and environmental sustainability of logistics operations. While a lot of attention was devoted in the past decades to the operational and technical aspects, the business development phase has been put aside, causing the market failure of several projects. The paper presents the SYNCHRO-modal supply chain eco-NET (SYNCHRO-NET) project, which will demonstrate the effectiveness of slow steaming combined with synchro-modality in reducing the cost and the emissions of international supply chains and improving reliability and sustainability through the optimization of the planning process. Differently from other similar projects, SYNCHRO-NET combines operational aspects with a business perspective and represents a stakeholder-driven approach aimed at developing a close-to-market solution over the timeframe of the project

Developing Model Of Closed Loop Supply Chain Network For Subsidized Lpg 3-Kgs In East Java-Indonesia

Demand of subsidized LPG 3-kgs in Indonesia has been increasing since the Indonesian government imposed a conversion program from kerosene to Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) in 2007. The high increase in demand for subsidized LPG 3-kgs led to the scarcity of products availability. The design of a closed distribution system is required to ensure the availability of subsidized LPG 3-kgs. In this research, the development model of the integration of closed loop supply chain network and vehicle routing problem with simultaneous deliveries and pick-ups with time windows has been proposed. The mechanism of closed distribution system starts from the distributors send LPG empty tubes to filling stations. After filling station inspected and filled the LPG tubes, distributors delivered LPG 3-kgs subsidized from the filling station to some retailers. At the same time, the distributors take back the empty tubes from these retailers by considering the limitations of operational time in each retailers. The proposed model was tested on numerical example and analyzed the result