Description:

Northwestern University Transportation Center presents:

"Spatial distribution of logistics facilities and truck traffic "

Kazuya Kawamura
Professor
Department of Urban Planning and Policy
Department of Civil and Materials Engineering (courtesy)
University of Illinois, Chicago

ABSTRACT:

Decentralization of urban logistics facilities, sometimes referred to as “logistics sprawl”, is a phenomenon that has been observed throughout the developed countries including the US. While it is generally assumed that logistics sprawl leads to an increase in negative externalities associated with trucking, such as air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and congestion, only a few studies have analyzed the impacts of logistics sprawl empirically. In this presentation, I will outline a series of studies that I and my colleagues have conducted that examined the impacts of logistics sprawl using large freight survey data sets. Our research shows that the relationship between the spatial distribution of urban logistics facilities and truck traffic is complex and nuanced, and logistics sprawl does not always lead to increase in truck traffic. We also found that land use policies aimed at controlling the spatial distribution of logistics facilities can be counterproductive in some cases.

SPEAKER BIO:

Dr. Kazuya Kawamura is a Professor of Urban Planning and Policy at the University of Illinois Chicago. He also holds a courtesy appointment in the Department of Civil and Materials Engineering at UIC. His research focuses on urban freight planning and policies. He received the Charlie Wootan Award for best Ph.D. Dissertation in policy and organization as well as Best Paper Award from the TRB AT025 (Urban Freight) for the work that comprises a part of this presentation. He has over 100 research publications. He holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the North Carolina State University and a MS and a PhD in Civil Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.