Integrating freight pooling and shared logistics in cities : a geospatial data-driven perspective

Abstract

The effectiveness of shared logistics and freight pooling has been demonstrated as pivotal strategies for enhancing urban freight transport sustainability. However, research efforts integrating these two sustainable strategies remain insufficiently investigated in current literature, particularly overlooking the spatial heterogeneity in cities. This study presents a geospatial data-driven perspective to investigate the environmental impacts of freight pooling within the existing shared logistics sector. Using empirical data from crowdsourced logistics and a speed-based macroscopic emission model, we quantify emissions (CO, CO<inf>2</inf>, NOx, VOC) from current operations and visualize their spatial distribution, revealing higher levels in downtown areas. Different scenarios are proposed to simulate freight pooling under varying conditions. The scenario with 30-minute time window and a 45% freight pooling rate yields the greatest reductions in traffic flow and emissions, containing emissions by approximately 20% compared to the current status. Practical insights are discussed given research findings for sustainable urban freight policies.