The presentation discussed the recent developments in European urban freight focusing on policy and business initiatives. This will include a review of:
- urban low emissions zones across Europe
- urban freight consolidation centres
- clean vehicles: moving from trials to implementation
- public-private partnerships in urban freight
- city and local authority planning initiatives that impact freight
In addressing these issues it is clear that there are a range of potential solutions to the problems caused and experienced by freight transport in urban areas. The goal ought to be to identify policy measures and initiatives which ensure safe vehicle operation, promote economic vitality and lead to environmental improvement. One way to achieve this is to make the most of sharing experiences between cities.
Policy makers are likely to need to adopt a range of policy approaches to addressing urban freight transport and its relationship with sustainable development. They should make use of both encouragement and compulsion in achieving these efforts. In some cases it will be necessary to impose restrictions on certain aspects of goods vehicle operation and to enforce these restrictions to meet safety and environmental objectives (Low Emission Zones are an example of this type of approach). In many cases, the greatest progress will be made by working closely with the private sector to improve the efficiency and reduce the negative impacts of urban freight. The public-private partnership approach has been shown to lead to promising results. Exploring the critical success factors is essential.
Schedule of events
9:30 am - Breakfast & registration
10:00 am to Noon - Seminar
Speaker: Michael Browne is Professor of Logistics at the University of Westminster, where he specialises in urban logistics, logistics and energy issues and international developments in logistics.
He has been Chair of the Department of Transport within the School of Architecture and the Built Environment and also Director of the Graduate Centre for the Built Environment with responsibility for co-ordination of research strategy across the School. He teaches freight transport and logistics and retail supply chain management on the University’s master’s programmes in European Logistics and Transport Planning and Management and is responsible for directing research and consultancy activities in logistics. Recent projects include: research on distribution in European cities, potential energy savings from city logistics strategies and forecasting future trend in distribution. He has worked on studies for the EPSRC, the European Commission, the UK Departments of Transport and Trade, and commercial organisations. Research for the EPSRC concerned the contribution of freight transport to sustainable cities. His work has been widely published and presented at international conferences.
He is the Assistant Editor of the journal Transport Reviews, and is on the editorial boards of: The Journal of International Logistics: Research and Applications, and Supply Chain Forum. He is a co-author of the book “European Logistics: Markets, Management and Strategy”. Prior to joining the University of Westminster in 1985 he had industrial experience with an organisation operating on a global basis, where he had responsibility for international freight.