STRIDE Project C2

STRIDE Project C2

Urban Freight and Planning

Research Team

Noreen McDonald, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Ruth Steiner, University of Florida

UTC Project Info
Final Report (Urban Freight Delivery & Loading Spaces)
Final Report (updated with Technical Documentation Page)
Project Brief - Benchmarks for Improving Off- and On-Street
 Freight Loading Zones in City Centers
Webinar
Technology Transfer Report

Project Description

Goods movement in urban areas is increasing due to globalized supply chains and shifting residential purchasing behavior. The resulting travel is central to the economic health of the US but is also linked to environmental and congestion concerns. These trends will continue making this an important issue for transport and land use planners. The goal of this study is to document best practice nationally and internationally around city logistics particularly efforts linked to local, regional, and state government land use and transport planning efforts. We will also analyze the state-of-the-practice in the southeastern United States to understand what practices are currently being utilized around urban freight and the market penetration of best practices. Finally, we will prepare a research design for an in-depth study of city logistics innovation in a southeastern city. We will utilize qualitative approaches to study best practices and the state of the practice. We anticipate reviewing transportation and freight plans from US and international cities, 2) reviewing professional guidelines from USDOT, state DOTs and other groups, e.g. NACTO, ITE, and 3) conducting interviews with area experts from state departments of transportations, cities, and academia. We expect to find the majority of southeastern cities currently make limited accommodations for city logistics through their planning practices, but that a small number of larger cities, particularly those with a strong manufacturing presence, are considering or implementing innovative practices.

Product

  • City-level summary of off-street freight loading zone requirements – The summary provides benchmarking information for cities to identify practices in other communities and assess how well current standards match needs.

WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM THE FINDING(S) OF THIS PROJECT?

• Land use planners
• Local and state transportation planners
• Local businesses

Broader Impacts

Cities that provide adequate supply of off- and on-street freight loading zones can reduce congestion and improve safety. This project resulted in follow-on research with NCDOT around urban freight safety to identify key performance indicators to improve freight planning.

Webinar