Sustainable urban logistics solutions for the city of Kaunas

Abstract

The main objective of this research project is to develop sustainable measures for the improvement of urban logistics in the city of Kaunas. The project is focusing on the sustainable approach to evaluate the viability of its measures. In other words, it considers the feasibility of the measures depending on the social, economic, and environmental effects that they could have. Firstly, it is analyzed the problems caused by logistic activities in Kaunas. Some of the problems have deep consequences for Kaunas citizens and might even be worse in future scenarios. The analysis tries to draw all the logistic scenario existing in the city. Kaunas, as an important logistic “pole” of Lithuania, has some important logistic platforms that must be considered. Besides, it is also analyzed different levels of administration, the developed plans of each of them, and the stakeholders related to different economic activities. To conclude the analysis and provide a more extended context, it is done a benchmarking of different successful measures developed in other cities. Finally, it is proposed two related measures. In the first place, it is located an urban distribution center by using Brown & Gibson Methodology and utility function. Secondly, it is developed a bicycle logistic system for the operation of the located distribution center. By using Clarke & Wright algorithm, it is designed the capacity and the necessary routes to serve the potential demand of the urban distribution center