1. Urban logistics in a nutshell

1.1 A logistics reality common to the urban world

Urban logistics is the set of activities that organize the movement of goods in cities. It encompasses a wide range of physical operations, such as transport, delivery (to establishments and private customers) and, upstream, order preparation and packaging, warehousing of goods, management of parcel drop-off and collection points, returns, empty pallets and packaging. It also includes the management of support services, including IT and data processing, as well as relations with public authorities and CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) policy. These operations, underpinned by the continuing sophistication of global supply chains and a growing number of technological solutions and algorithms, enable cities to be supplied. In the...