The growth in urban population and economic upturn
is leading to higher demand for construction, repair
and renovation works in cities. Houses, public utilities,
retail spaces, offices and infrastructure need to
adapt to cope with the increasing number of residents
and visitors, urban functions and changing standards.
Construction projects contribute to more attractive,
sustainable and economically viable urban areas once
they are finished. However, transport activities related
to construction works have negative impacts on the
surrounding community if not handled appropriately.
It is estimated that 15 to 20 percent of heavy goods
vehicles in cities are related to construction, and 30
to 40 percent of light commercial vans [1]. In the cities
studied in the CIVIC project, construction-related
transport was found to be one of the biggest challenges
to improving sustainability. Smarter, cleaner and safer
construction logistics solutions in urban areas are
needed for environmental, societal and economic
reasons. However, in many European cities and metropolitan
areas the sense of urgency is not evident or a
lack of knowledge is creating passivity.