A review of methodologies to assess urban freight initiatives

Only few urban freight initiatives are expanding their scale of application beyond the initial pilot experimentation. To overcome existing barriers to larger scale optimization of urban freight distribution activities, it is necessary to develop and test proper methodologies that assess all aspects relevant to this context. In this paper we propose a classification of existing assessment methodologies, in order to underline their advantages and disadvantages, along with possible research gaps and future trends. For this review we adopt a framework constructed on two dimensions of an assessment methodology, namely method used and scope. As for the method used, methodologies can be either quantitative, if they aim at simulating or evaluating the outcomes in terms of vehicle flows, pollutant emissions, or monetary outcomes, or qualitative, if they are directed towards elucidating the subjective assessment of stakeholders. Concerning the scope, existing methodologies can cover three main aspects of urban freight distribution systems, such as measures to be assessed, stakeholders and impact areas

The evaluation of national accounting matrices with environmental accounts (NAMEA) as a methodology for carrying out a sustainability assessment of the Scottish food and drink sector

This report introduces environmental input-output (IO) accounts for Scotland as an example of a NAMEA framework. It provides an introduction to the use of basic IO multiplier methodology, which can be applied to examine pollution/waste generation and/or resource use under production and consumption accounting principles

ICT applications on the road to sustainable urban transport

This paper addresses the impact of information and communication technology (ICT) on sustainable transport by examining the direct application of ICT in urban transport. Following a discussion of various negative externalities of transport, the paper examines the extent to which existing and potential ICT applications in the transport sector can assist in making urban transport more sustainable than it is at present. The focus of analysis is on qualitative and quantitative impacts of several ICT applications on travel behaviour (including fatalities), factors that influence adoption, and impacts of adoption including potentially secondary effects. The literature suggests that ICT innovations are most effective in fatality reduction, but it seems that these are also quite effective in reducing fuel consumption through fuelintelligent vehicles

Local sustainable mobility management. Are Portuguese municipalities aware?

Urban mobility has become an international problem and several countries have joined together in different consortia, signing international agreements and developing projects with a view to establishing new standards for current mobility levels and the development of the transport systems of the future. Although such worldwide increasing effort regarding sustainable mobility issue, namely by the most proactive European cities, it is not yet clear why measures towards sustainable mobility are not implemented by the generality of local authorities. The main goal of this paper is to identify the different sustainable mobility strategies and the corresponding perceptions by local public authorities. Such local governance aspects have yet to be dealt with appropriately and in a credible way. This shortcoming is particularly acute in Portugal where sustainable urban mobility management is still highly underdeveloped and very few studies have been dedicated to the matter. We provide new evidence on the perceptions and strategies of the Portuguese local public authorities regarding sustainable urban mobility management. Through a survey to all Portuguese municipalities we provide brand new evidence on their perceptions and strategies regarding sustainable urban mobility management. Estimates based on econometric regressions indicate that the most mobility-conscious municipalities are, on average, those that are richer, more cultural and educated, possess alternative transport parks and routes, have larger and more human capital intensive mobility departments. Results show that more than simply participating in urban regeneration programs it is necessary a more committed attitude, namely that municipalities’ urban plans explicitly mention mobility issues and indicators. All the models estimated clearly evidence a higher awareness of North municipalities towards sustainable mobility issues.Zona Euro; Sustainability; mobility management; regions; human capital

Road network equilibrium approaches to environmental sustainability

Environmental sustainability is closely related to transportation, especially to the road network, because vehicle emissions and noise damage the environment and have adverse effects on human health. It is, therefore, important to take their effect into account when designing and managing road networks. Road network equilibrium approaches have been used to estimate this impact and to design and manage road networks accordingly. However, no comprehensive review has summarized the applications of these approaches to the design and management of road networks that explicitly address environmental concerns. More importantly, it is necessary to identify this gap in the literature so that future research can improve the existing methodologies. Hence, this paper summarizes these applications and identifies potential future research directions in terms of theories, modelling approaches, algorithms, analyses, and applications.postprin

Boosting the eco-friendly sharing economy: The effect of gasoline prices on bikeshare ridership in three U.S. metropolises

Transportation has become the largest CO2 emitter in the United States in recent years with low gasoline prices standing out from many contributors. As demand side changes are called for reducing car use, the fast-growing sharing economy shows great potential to shift travel demand away from single-occupancy vehicles. Although previous inter-disciplinary research on shared mobility has explored its multitudes of benefits, it is yet to be investigated how the uptake of this eco-friendly sharing scheme is affected by gasoline prices. In this study, we examine the impact of gasoline prices on the use of bikeshare programs in three U.S. metropolises: New York City, Boston, and Chicago. Using bikeshare trip data, we estimate the impact of citywide gasoline prices on both bikeshare trip duration and trip frequency in a generalized linear regression setting. The results suggest that gasoline prices significantly affect bikeshare trip frequency and duration, with a noticeable surge in short trips. Doubling gasoline prices could help save an average of 1933 gallons of gasoline per day in the three cities, approximately 0.04% of the U.S. daily per capita gasoline consumption. Our findings indicate that fuel pricing could be an effective policy tool to support technology driven eco-friendly sharing mobility and boost sustainable transportation

Transportation modelling for environmental impact assessment : Porto metropolitan area case study

Tese de mestrado. Transportes. Faculdade de Engenharia. Universidade do Porto. Departamento de Engenharia Mecânica. Universidade de Aveiro. 200

A tool for evaluating urban sustainability via integrated transportation and land use simulation models

This paper is focused on developing a simulation tool that will be used to assess urban sustainability and inform the future of urban planning. The tool is developed as an add-on module in an operational integrated transportation and land use model (ITLUM) calibrated for two Canadian cities: Hamilton, Ontario and Halifax, Nova Scotia. Progress towards sustainability is gauged based on indicators that will minimize negative environmental and social impacts while maximizing economic benefits. To this end, the methods to model the sustainability indicators are highlighted and described. A simulation example is provided to demonstrate the operability of the devised tool.Cet article met l’accent sur le développement d’un outil de simulation conçu pour évaluer la durabilité urbaine et élargir le champ des connaissances nécessaires à la planification future du développement urbain. Cet outil consiste en un module instrumental qui s’ajoute à l’ITLUM (concept opérationnel intégré du développement spatial et de transport), et dont l’étalonnage a été adapté à deux villes canadiennes : Hamilton, Ontario et Halifax, Nouvelle-Écosse. Dans ces modèles, le progrès vers la durabilité est jaugé aux moyens d’indicateurs gradués pour baisser les impacts environnementaux et sociaux tout en haussant les bénéfices économiques. Dans ce but, les méthodes employées dans la conception de ces indicateurs de durabilité sont identifiées et expliquées. Un exemple de simulation est inclus afin de démontrer l’efficacité de cet outil

Lifestyle, efficiency and limits: modelling transport energy and emissions using a socio-technical approach

It is well-known that societal energy consumption and pollutant emissions from transport are influenced not only by technical efficiency, mode choice and the carbon/pollutant content of energy but also by lifestyle choices and socio-cultural factors. However, only a few attempts have been made to integrate all of these insights into systems models of future transport energy demand or even scenario analysis. This paper addresses this gap in research and practice by presenting the development and use of quantitative scenarios using an integrated transport-energy-environment systems model to explore four contrasting futures for Scotland that compare transport-related ‘lifestyle’ changes and socio-cultural factors against a transition pathway focussing on transport electrification and the phasing out of conventionally fuelled vehicles using a socio-technical approach. We found that radical demand and supply strategies can have important synergies and trade-offs between reducing life cycle greenhouse gas and air quality emissions. Lifestyle change alone can have a comparable and earlier effect on transport carbon and air quality emissions than a transition to EVs with no lifestyle change. Yet, the detailed modelling of four contrasting futures suggests that both strategies have limits to meeting legislated carbon budgets, which may only be achieved with a combined strategy of radical change in travel patterns, mode and vehicle choice, vehicle occupancy and on-road driving behaviour with high electrification and phasing out of conventional petrol and diesel road vehicles. The newfound urgency of ‘cleaning up our act’ since the Paris Agreement and Dieselgate scandal suggests that we cannot just wait for the ‘technology fix’

Channels of Synthesis Forty Years On: Integrated Analysis of Spatial Economic Systems

Isard’s vision of integrated modeling that was laid out in the 1960s book Methods of Regional Science provided a road map for the development of more sophisticated analysis of spatial economic systems. Some forty years later, we look back at this vision and trace developments in a sample of three areas – demographic-econometric integrated modeling, spatial interaction modeling, and environmental-economic modeling. Attention will be focused on methodological advances and their motivation by new developments in theory as well as innovations in the applications of these models to address new policy challenges. Underlying the discussion will be an evaluation of the way in which spatial issues have been addressed, ranging from concerns with regionalization to issues of spillovers and spatial correlation.Spatial economic system, Integrated analysis,