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Exploring conditions for economic sustainability of city hubs adoption in urban logistics - a system dynamics approach
KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Centres, Integrated Transport Research Lab, ITRL.ORCID iD: 0000-0002-0575-5213
Department of Management and Production Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy.
Department of Management and Engineering, Linköpings Universitet, Linköping, Sweden.
KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Centres, Integrated Transport Research Lab, ITRL.ORCID iD: 0000-0003-2011-6273
2025 (English)In: International Journal of Sustainable Transportation, ISSN 1556-8318, E-ISSN 1556-8334Article in journal (Refereed) Epub ahead of print
Abstract [en]

Transport-related externalities have a negative impact on urban environments and health. Therefore, urban logistic systems encounter significant sustainability challenges. One urban transport strategy is city hubs, which can achieve a more effective system. However, city hubs have yet to realize their full potential due to the challenges of their implementation. This paper investigates the dynamics of city hub implementation from the perspectives of the Logistic Service Providers (LSPs), the hub operator and the receivers of the goods. Drawing from qualitative and quantitative insights from a case study in Stockholm, a system dynamics model is built to understand these dynamics. The results of this model demonstrate that the city hub is economically sustainable only if collaboration is achieved between LSPs and receivers. However, the total system cost increases with collaboration. When collaboration cannot be achieved, the public sector’s involvement is crucial to achieving hub adoption. The results also show that implementing an environmental zone (internal combustion engine vehicles are forbidden entry) does not help hub adoption, as the share of the LSPs cost spent on vehicles is low compared to other costs. Therefore, policies favoring the actors involved in the scheme should be considered. The main contribution of this paper lies in identifying possible strategies and outcomes of city hub implementation within the studied area and providing guidance for policymakers on policies for successful implementation. Moreover, the model can be adapted to other case studies by adjusting the input data, thereby serving as a tool for policymakers in different geographical contexts.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Informa UK Limited , 2025.
Keywords [en]
City hubs, economical sustainability, sustainable urban logistics, system dynamics modeling, urban logistics policies
National Category
Transport Systems and Logistics
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-373629DOI: 10.1080/15568318.2025.2584181ISI: 001613845300001Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-105022013842OAI: oai:DiVA.org:kth-373629DiVA, id: diva2:2018823
Note

QC 20251204

Available from: 2025-12-04 Created: 2025-12-04 Last updated: 2025-12-04Bibliographically approved

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Andruetto, ClaudiaPernestål Brenden, Anna

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