Understanding the Movement of Goods, Not People: Issues, Evidence and Potential

Abstract

The movement of goods or freight occurs in every urban area. However, such movements have not received the same level of attention as that given to the movements of people. We do not understand the effects of several massive changes affecting urban freight movements. This paper presents a comparative review of planning studies of the movement of goods in order to assess our current understanding and to provide a context for a research agenda on the movement of urban goods. The studies reviewed provide basic data such as time of day activity, trip and vehicle characteristics. However, they do not provide an understanding of the key relationships that underlie the movement of goods, including those related to land use/transport interaction. Basic research into an integrated modelling effort for urban goods movement (UGM) is needed to address issues associated with congestion and air quality that affect most major urban centres.