AN ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK TO SUPPORT COLLECTIVE DECISION MAKING ON URBAN FREIGHT TRANSPORT

What is it about?

This paper proposes a framework that supports the collection and classification of information about the features of a city relevant to Urban Freight Transport (UFT). The data is organised in a framework of 28 different layers that are then stored in a Geographic Information System (GIS) tool to enable efficient data retrieval and graphical display. The resulting GIS tool thus represents a decision support system for UFT problems, providing decision-makers and stakeholders with a wide range of easy to understand information. Moreover, by providing a standardised set of features and sources of information, the framework enables the comparison of different cities. To illustrate the benefits, prototypical real-scale tests based on the structure have been realised in two mid-sized European cities: Bergamo (North of Italy) and Luxembourg. For both cities, data were mainly collected from publicly available sources and organised according to the framework. The data and information collected have been used in collaboration with the stakeholders to identify the priorities of intervention and evaluate alternative UFT solutions. The real-scale applications confirmed the usability and effectiveness of the framework in engaging stakeholders and supported the process of envisioning shared UFT solutions.

Featured Image

Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

Why is it important?

In this paper, we propose a framework that supports the collection and classification of information intending to enable the assessment of a city along the most critical dimensions related to UFT. The goal of such a framework is threefold. First, it aims at providing a methodology to gather information relevant to UFT, exploiting publicly available information to overcome the well-known issue of the lack of data. Next, considering the relevance of the stakeholder commitment concerning the success of any UFT initiative, the framework aims at fostering and facilitating stakeholder engagement in UFT projects thanks to a visual and interactive tool. Finally, the framework enables the possibility to perform a comparative assessment between cities by providing standard dimensions of evaluation.