Suggested Citation:
Jaller, Miguel and Anmol Pahwa (2023)

Sketch Planning Tool for Sustainable and Resilient Urban Goods Distribution: User Manual

. Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California, Davis, Research Report UCD-ITS-RR-23-70

Abstract:

The urban goods distribution system is a critical component of modern society. However, the COVID-19 pandemic exposed significant vulnerabilities in this system as it struggled to cope with an unforeseen surge in demand. This crisis highlighted the urgent necessity of developing a resilient and sustainable urban goods distribution system capable of efficiently recovering from high-severity disruptions. Our research team previously developed a novel analytical model, the Robustness, Redundancy, Resourcefulness, and Rapidity - Last-Mile Distribution - Resilience Triangle (R4-LMD-RT) framework to address this challenge. In line with the previous work, this work aims to create a sketch-planning tool tailored for local jurisdictions based on the R4-LMDRT model. This tool assists in strategically planning urban goods distribution systems, identifying land use requirements, and proposing sustainable and resilient strategies, such as urban consolidation, micro-hubs, alternative delivery points, and zero-emission vehicles. As part of a case study, the authors validate the effectiveness of this planning tool by applying it to the city of Los Angeles for a COVID-19-like disruption. This research outcome paves the way for more sustainable and resilient urban goods distribution systems in the post-pandemic world.