Laetitia Dablanc

Bio: Laetitia Dablanc is an academic researcher from IFSTTAR. The author has contributed to research in topics: Metropolitan area & Urban sprawl. The author has an hindex of 25, co-authored 83 publications receiving 2779 citations. Previous affiliations of Laetitia Dablanc include University of Paris-Est & Institut Français.

Goods Transport in Large European Cities: Difficult to Organize, Difficult to Modernize

Abstract: In this article, I wish to present three characteristics of urban goods movements in major European cities: (1) Goods movements are largely indifferent to the internal structure of cities. (2) Urban policies targeted on freight mobility appear to be quite inefficient. (3) The provision of appropriate urban logistic services is slow in emerging despite growing needs. These features have been observed over the last five or six years through working with large metropolitan transport authorities, as well as with the French national research program on “Goods in Cities” and the “Best Urban Freight Solutions” European network. These observations draw a picture of the urban freight industry, which can appear quite critical. Indeed, many initiatives have emerged to make this industry less routine and more efficient, especially regarding its environmental impacts as well as its level of quality of service. However, changes are slow, and on the whole, it appears as though none of the stakeholders are willing to make fast progress: on the one side, city governments expect business to set up new logistic services fit to the emerging needs of the customers and retailers as well as beneficial to the environment; on the other side, logisticians are waiting for municipalities to initiate (and subsidize) new services before starting businesses which could prove poorly profitable and highly risky. Despite this tendency for status quo in the urban freight industry, some solutions can be identified, which I present in the concluding chapter of this paper.

The impact of e-commerce on final deliveries: alternative parcel delivery services in France and Germany

Abstract: In Europe, shopping habits have changed fast during the last decade and a high percentage of consumers now shop online. E-commerce for physical goods generates a significant demand for dedicated delivery services, and results in increasingly difficult last mile logistics. In particular home delivery services, which are usually the preferred option by the online consumers, contribute to the atomization of parcel flows thus causing particular problems within the urban areas. However, alternative delivery solutions are growing fast, especially in metropolitan areas The purpose of this article is to compare the alternatives to home delivery that have been developed by French and German parcel delivery operators which developed pick-up points in stores and automated lockers networks. The paper includes an analysis of the key drivers of the development of the two emblematic delivery services (pick-up points and lockers), with reference to the strategies of service providers and e-commerce firms as well as consumer preferences.

Final deliveries for online shopping: The deployment of pickup point networks in urban and suburban areas

Abstract: In France, e-commerce has experienced steady growth over the past decade. A striking aspect is that it is now widespread among different segments of the population, including suburban and rural households. This growth has generated significant demand for dedicated delivery services to end consumers. Pickup points (PP) represent a fast-growing alternative to home delivery, accounting for about 20% of parcel deliveries to households. The article focuses on the strategy of PP network operators. Our results are threefold.We have documented the recent development of alternative parcel delivery services to e-shoppers in Europe, and especially in France. We have described how the operators have decided to organize their PP network, identifying main variables and constraints. We have provided an analysis of the spatial distribution of PPs in France. The paper shows that at the French national level, PPs are nowawell established alternative to home deliveries and their presence covers urban, suburban and rural areas. While PP density in remote areas decreases faster than population density, rural e-consumers' accessibility to PP sites has reached a viable level. Furthermore, PP delivery services generate new types of B2B freight trips that are not yet included in current urban freight models.

Models for Evaluating and Planning City Logistics Systems

Abstract: City logistics aims to reduce the nuisances associated to freight transportation in urban areas while supporting their economic and social development. The fundamental idea is to view individual stakeholders and decisions as components of an integrated logistics system. This implies the coordination of shippers, carriers, and movements as well as the consolidation of loads of several customers and carriers into the same environment-friendly vehicles. City logistics explicitly aims to optimize such advanced urban transportation systems. We focus on a challenging city logistics planning issue, the integrated short-term scheduling of operations and management of resources, for the general case involving a two-tiered distribution structure. We investigate the main issues related to the problem, introduce a new problem class, propose both a general model and formulations for the main system components, and identify promising solution avenues.

50th Anniversary Invited Article—City Logistics: Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract: Today, around 54% of the world’s population lives in urban areas. By 2050, this share is expected to go up significantly. As a result, city logistics, which focuses on the efficient and effective transportation of goods in urban areas while taking into account the negative effects on congestion, safety, and environment, is critical to ensuring continued quality of life in cities. We review and discuss a variety of current and anticipated challenges and opportunities of city logistics. We hope this helps shaping an appropriate research agenda and stimulates more researchers to enter this exciting field.