Distribution structures and distribution centre (DC) locations are essential for logistics companies to optimise logistics costs and service levels. This paper reviews Supply Chain Management (SCM), Geography and Economic Geographic literature on distribution structure and DC locations decision-making. Two central decision-making elements are discussed: process steps and decision-making factors. Added value of our paper is 1) A literature review 2) Conclusions on the state of current scientific knowledge in three research streams 3) A research agenda. Reviewing literature shows decision-making factors are renowned, however, importance of factors in each process step is unknown. Results also show literature diverges on which process steps logistics companies take (descriptive) or should optimally take (prescriptive) in distribution structure and DC location decision-making. Thus, more research is needed. Developing a descriptive conceptual model and testing on several industry sectors will be valuable to understand differences on distribution structure and DC location decision-making.
Cities all over the world are rethinking their mobility policies in light of environmental and quality of life objectives. As space is one of cities’ scarcest resources, mobility’s spatial footprint is increasingly scrutinized as externality to mitigate. Similar to passenger transport, goods transport is envisioned to shift towards efficient and zero emission mobilities. To achieve an urban logistics system that eliminates inefficiencies and fossil fuels, the logistics sector requires space to unload, cross-dock, consolidate and stock goods closer to their destinations. Such a ‘proximity logistics’ is however at odds with ‘logistics sprawl’, the historic outward migration pattern of logistics facilities. With policies and planning, cities can support the (re)integration of logistics facilities in urban areas to facilitate and enable the shift to an efficient urban logistics system. Logistics still being a largely neglected policy subject in many cities, knowledge on how to approach this (re)integration is hardly available. Therefore, we compare two pioneering cities: Rotterdam and Paris. Both cities have an established track record in advancing urban logistics policies and are spearheading the practice of planning for logistics. Based on interviews and policy analyses, we develop best practices on how to address the integration of urban logistics facilities for cities.
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DISCO aims at fast-tracking upscaling to new generation of urban logistics and smart planning unblocking the transition to decarbonised and digital cities, delivering innovative frameworks and tools, Physical Internet (PI) inspired. To this scope, DISCO will deploy and demonstrate innovative and inclusive urban logistics and planning solutions for dynamic space re-allocation integrating urban freight at local level, within efficiently operated network-of-networks (PI) where the nodes and infrastructure are fixed and mobile based on throughput demands. Solutions are co-designed with the urban logistics community – e.g., cities, logistics service providers, retailers, real estate/public and private infrastructure owners, fleet owners, transport operators, research community, civil society - all together moving a paradigm change from sprawl to data driven, zero-emission and nearby-delivery-based models.
