A review of methodologies to assess urban freight initiatives

Only few urban freight initiatives are expanding their scale of application beyond the initial pilot experimentation. To overcome existing barriers to larger scale optimization of urban freight distribution activities, it is necessary to develop and test proper methodologies that assess all aspects relevant to this context. In this paper we propose a classification of existing assessment methodologies, in order to underline their advantages and disadvantages, along with possible research gaps and future trends. For this review we adopt a framework constructed on two dimensions of an assessment methodology, namely method used and scope. As for the method used, methodologies can be either quantitative, if they aim at simulating or evaluating the outcomes in terms of vehicle flows, pollutant emissions, or monetary outcomes, or qualitative, if they are directed towards elucidating the subjective assessment of stakeholders. Concerning the scope, existing methodologies can cover three main aspects of urban freight distribution systems, such as measures to be assessed, stakeholders and impact areas.