News of the Chair (2024-)
- Theme 1.1 (macro-analyses of the spatial distribution of warehouses) of the scientific program: in October 2023, the Chair finalized the work on the Chair’s database on logistics sprawl and the links between urban form and warehouse location. The research report is available here. A summary of the database and statistical work is available here.
- Theme 3 : Research report on innovative strategies in Europe for the development of urban logistics: “European strategies for urban logistics. 16 case studies of innovative initiatives in Europe“ (Alyssa Harris and Laetitia Dablanc, October 2023).
- October 2023 : Publication of a research paper by Coriolan Gout on the spatial distribution of warehouses and the logistics rental market in the Paris and New York metropolitan areas.
- Publication of Aliénor Vézinet’s Master’s thesis (intern, March-September 2023) on intermediate logistics and tactical and strategic urban planning strategies adapted to urban logistics. Her thesis is available here and her brief here.
- In September 2023 Reece Fisher‘s has started her PhD, supported jointly by Sogaris, the Chair (with Laetitia Dablanc as director) and CNAM/LIRSA (with Adeline Heitz as co-supervisor).
- August 30, 2023, Laetitia Dablanc spoke on “CO2 impacts of freight transportation” at the symposium ‘Exploring tracks for transatlantic cooperation on intelligent mobility’ organized by France Science. You can access the support of this presentation via this link.
- Publication of a paper on dark stores by the Chair’s team. Buldeo Rai, H., Mariquivoi, J., Schorung, M. & Dablanc, L. (2023) Dark stores in the City of Light: Geographical and transportation impacts of ‘quick commerce’ in Paris. In: Research in Transportation Economics. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.retrec.2023.101333
- Publication of a paper on the integration of urban logistics in urban policies (case studies of Paris and Rotterdam) by Laetitia Dablanc and Dutch colleagues. Kin, B., Buldeo Rai, H., Dablanc, L. & Quak, H. (2023). Integrating logistics into urban planning: best practices from Paris and Rotterdam. In: European Planning Studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/09654313.2023.2242400
- July 2023: Matthieu Schorung presented two papers at the World Conference on Transport Research (Montreal): one on the Chair’s research on Amazon; the other on logistics sprawl in American metropolises.
- Laetitia Dablanc chaired the Young Conference of the World Conference on Transport Research in Montreal on July 17, 2023.
- Laetitia Dablanc made a double academic visit to the United States: from June 2 to July 2, 2023 at the City College of New York and from July 3 to July 15, 2023 at the University of Southern California as part of the METROFREIGHT project to work on instant delivery drivers, warehouses and logistics sprawl.
- Laetitia Dablanc moderated a round table at the International Transport Forum (OECD) on June 26 and 27, 2023 on the new urban logistics real estate, which brought together 40 experts from OECD countries.
- City Logistics International Conference in Bordeaux in June 2023 (June 19-21): Matthieu Schorung presented the Chair’s work on quick commerce and the impact of dark stores. His presentation is available here.
- June 2023: the Chair was present at the 5th RFTM (Rencontres Francophones Transport Mobilité) in Dijon (June 7-9). Camille Horvath presented a paper entitled “The commitment of supply chain players as a crucible of alternativity: the case of the meeting of supply and demand for short-circuit products”. Matthieu Schorung co-directed a special session on “Actors, conflicts and governance in transport and logistics projects”.
- June 2023: Publication of a research report on new data sources for urban logistics, written by François Adoue (independent researcher) under the direction of Laetitia Dablanc.
Recent interventions
- “CO2 impacts of freight transportation” at the ‘Exploring tracks for transatlantic cooperation on intelligent mobility’ conference organised by France Science. His presentation can be viewed here.
- Young Conference at the World Conference on Transport Research in Montreal on 17 July 2023.
- International Transport Forum (OECD) round table on 26 and 27 June 2023 on new urban logistics real estate, which brought together 40 experts from OECD countries.
- City Logistics international conference in Bordeaux in June 2023 (19-21 June): Matthieu Schorung presented the Chair’s work on quick commerce and the impact of dark stores. His presentation is available here.
- June 2023: the Chair was present at the 5th RFTM (Rencontres Francophones Transport Mobilité) in Dijon (7-9 June). Camille Horvath presented a paper entitled “L’engagement des acteurs de la chaîne logistique comme creuset d’alternativité : le cas de la rencontre entre offre et demande pour les produits des circuits courts”. Matthieu Schorung co-directed a special session on “Actors, conflicts and governance in transport and logistics projects”.
Chair description
New concepts, new urban logistics companies are emerging in Asia, Europe, and the United States, and more recently in all urban regions of the world, driven by digital revolutions. This logistic aims to meet the demand of urban companies and consumers for new services while providing solutions to cities’ concerns about the environmental and social impacts of current urban deliveries.
For cities with efficient urban logistics (such as Tokyo) that integrate logistics facilities into very dense urban areas or “intelligent” neighbourhood logistics, there are still less central districts and many large cities in the world whose congestion and emissions related to freight transport remain at far too high levels, while social issues (jobs and working conditions) are becoming more acute.
The Logistics City Chair is part of this context, with a specific dual ambition:
- To pay particular attention, especially through the disciplines of urban planning and development, to the question of crucial logistical locations for urban and metropolitan areas such as warehouses.
- To explore the impact of new consumption and distribution trends on urban logistics and the territories, particularly those related to e-commerce and more generally to digital transformations. Working in the Île-de-France region and having comparative perspective, data will be collected and developments in major world cities will be identified.
We will aim to increase knowledge while ensuring that we provide methodological tools to public and private actors in urban logistics, to contribute to the development of public policies on freight mobility, the energy transition of the sector, new logistics real estate and employment.
Chair governance
Steering committee
- Laetitia Dablanc, Research Director and Chair Director, Université Gustave Eiffel
- Marion Albertelli, Post-doctoral student, Université Gustave Eiffel
- Juliette Berthon, CSR and Innovation Director, Sogaris
- Inès Balligand, Director of Development, Sogaris
- Suzanne Friedrich, R&D and Innovation Project Manager, Sogaris
Policy and evaluation committee (COE)
- Jonathan Sebbane, Managing Director and Chairman of the Chair’s COE, Sogaris
- Serge Piperno, Vice-President of Research, Université Gustave Eiffel
- Pierre Launay, Freight and Logistics Officer, Ile-de-France Regional Council
- Martine Vazquez, Urban Logistics Project Manager, Greater Paris Metropolitan Area
- Julien Aldhuy, Senior Lecturer, Université Paris Est Créteil
- Adeline Heitz, Senior Lecturer, Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers
- Heleen Buldeo Rai, Researcher, Vrije Universiteit, Brussels
- Cécile Maisonneuve, Institut Montaigne
- Claude Samson, AFILOG (substitute: Diana Diziain)
- Marion Waller, Managing Director, Pavillon de l’Arsenal
- Juliette Berthon, Director of CSR and Innovation, Sogaris
- Inès Balligand, Director of Development, Sogaris
- Pétronille Rème Harnay, Director of the SPLOTT laboratory, Université Gustave Eiffel
- Pierre Zembri, Director of the LVMT laboratory, Université Gustave Eiffel
- Laetitia Dablanc, Research Director, LVMT, Université Gustave Eiffe
Chair Committee (CC)
- Muriel Jougleux, Université Gustave Eiffel
- Guillemette Karpeles, Sogaris
- Juliette Berthon, Directrice RSE et Innovation, Sogaris
- Laetitia Dablanc, Directrice de recherches, LVMT, Université Gustave Eiffel