1st Edition
The City as a Terminal The Urban Context of Logistics and Freight Transport
The on-time delivery of goods is regarded as a primary factor of the urban economy and is being monitored by businesses and government alike. However, much analysis of freight transportation and the flow of goods into, out of and within urban areas focuses on functional, business-related approaches. This book examines the interrelationship between logistics development on one hand and urban development and geographical issues, such as land use and location, on the other. Avoiding certain one-dimensional views on 'logistics impacts on the city', it discloses the complex interaction of the logistics system with the entire urban environment. It also bridges the gap between recent geographical research into new production systems and (post)modern consumption patterns. Illustrated with case studies from the United States, Germany, France, The Netherlands and the United Kingdom, it examines issues such as: the historical nexus between urban areas and logistics; current urban developments with regards to goods distribution; city-region related characteristics of freight flows; locational dynamics; and specific freight related urban problems and conflicts.
Biography
Markus Hesse is Professor of Urban Studies at the University of Luxembourg, Faculty of Humanities, Geography and Spatial Planning research centre. His research is concerned with principles of urban and regional development, European urban development and policy, and the significance of global networks for cities.
'...this book is a good attempt at a structured investigation into the complex interrelationships between urban form and freight transport and logistics activity, drawing on a broad range of areas both of academic study and public policy. The constantly evolving nature of these relationships is highlighted, with unclear causal relationships and often unexpected consequences, adding to the difficulties of identifying and influencing the ways in which future logistics and freight transport activities will materialise within the urban environment.' Journal of Transport Geography
