Last week, I attended the CityFreight Workshop in Bergen, Norway, “Sustainability in Urban Logistics – What Are Key Challenges & Future Research Agendas?” The event was excellently organized by the Center for Climate and Energy Transformation (CET) at the University of Bergen and the Center for Shipping and Logistics at the NHH Norwegian School of Economics.
The workshop brought together a diverse group of international researchers, urban planners, and logistics professionals to explore how cities can better plan, govern, and integrate urban freight into broader sustainability agendas. Contributions spanned operations management, transport planning, urban planning, and logistics innovation.
Professor Lei Zhao and colleagues set the tone with compelling insights into operations management practices in urban logistics. The program also featured case studies on food waste separation in Oslo, cargo bikes (including the Oslo Kaia Mobility Hotel), platform-based last-mile delivery, modeling the impact of traffic measures, and the use of public transport for freight.
Particularly noteworthy was the presentation by Professor Walid Klibi on the Strategic Location of Public Microhubs for Sustainable Last-Mile Logistics under Competition in New York City. His work raises critical questions about balancing curbside use between logistics infrastructure and public space.
Cathy Macharis from the House of Sustainable Transitions facilitated an engaging and insightful interactive session on Unveiling Systemic Dynamics in Urban Logistics, using a constellation workshop format to surface interdependencies and tensions in urban freight systems.
In my presentation, I shared early insights from the Dutch implementation of Zero-Emission Zones (ZEZ). While these zones are often framed as ‘no regret’ measures, their implications for smaller operators and enforcement practices remain challenging.
An interesting case study assessed the macro effects of parcel freight consolidation on the livability of small cities, using vehicle routing as a micro model in Bergen, Norway. The study finds that small carriers occupy a significant amount of urban space and extend stop durations during parcel deliveries. To improve city logistics, restricting small carriers from delivering directly to end customers would be more effective than simply consolidating all deliveries under a few large carriers.
The workshop concluded with a critical reflection by Håvard Haarstad and Rafael Rosales La Torraca on the dominance of the decarbonization narrative in cityfreight. They argued that the current policy discourse often prioritizes emissions reductions over broader considerations such as freight reduction and system efficiency, as public authorities continue to frame sustainable mobility primarily through the lens of passenger transport. A further interesting read is Subina Shrestha’s PhD thesis on the interaction between public and private actors.
Recurring themes included the spatial impact of freight, the need for integrated planning tools, and the problem of “cruising for parking” in dense urban areas. A key takeaway is that the growing body of operations research needs to be more effectively aligned with urban planning processes. This calls for a rethinking of how we apply freight modeling and raises the question: What kind of digital twins are needed to support coordinated decision-making between public and private stakeholders?
This workshop highlighted the pressing need for interdisciplinary collaboration and more comprehensive data- and business-driven approaches to urban freight governance in the context of climate and livability goals.
Walther Ploos van Amstel.