Home Delivery and the Impacts on Urban Freight Transport: A Review

This review paper discusses the latest developments in internet shopping, home delivery and the potential impacts on city logistics and alternative vehicle use. The review has illustrated the rapid changes during the past few years and the potentially important impacts on patterns of transport within urban areas. Some of the changes result in increased pressure for road traffic networks in sensitive areas (for example residential areas). At the same time the changes also provide opportunities for the use of vehicles powered by alternative fuels thereby supporting certain sustainability strategies. However, the changes are complex and patterns are not the same from one country to another thus the impacts on city logistics are also varied.