Cities are the engines of an innovation-based economy where research and
new ideas are the core input of production. Urbanisation is becoming
synonymous of economic growth. People flock into cities, both in the
developed and developing world, since here is where wealth is, where
high quality services are available and life standards are comparatively
higher with respect to other places. However, one has to acknowledge
that growth also produces undesired negative effects. In fact, cities
are net importers. They need to acquire consumption/intermediate goods,
export production and get rid of waste. In other words, the existence of
a city relies on a transportation system providing the necessary
services for its functioning. The typical urban transportation system
heavily depends on passenger and freight movements by road. While this
dependency is, in some cases, less relevant for passenger transport,
most of freight moved in, out, within and through a city relies on
motorized road transportation. Trucks and vans are responsible for
congestion, polluting emissions, accidents, noise, visual intrusion and
stench. All these negative effects are concentrated where many citizens
live and, consequently, produce relevant economic (e.g. time lost),
environmental (e.g. air quality), and social (e.g. segregation) impacts.
Cities to be attractive, sustainable and thriving need an efficient
freight transportation system. Fast changing consumption patterns with
the rise of e-commerce and home deliveries also point out to another
dimension of cities: their need to adapt quickly to economic trends.
