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Pick-Up Point Location Optimization Using a Two-Level Multi-objective Approach: The Enna Case Study

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Computational Science and Its Applications – ICCSA 2023 Workshops (ICCSA 2023)

Abstract

The E-commerce sector has experienced considerable growth and is connected to a growing demand for urban logistics services. It could have huge impacts on cities and the environment. The goal of the companies is to make the system more efficient, for example, by optimizing delivery tours. In general, sustainable logistics aims to reduce the carbon footprint, pollution and waste at all stages, including the distribution of goods to the end customer. Hence the need to balance the different social, economic and environmental objectives. The explosion of e-commerce has transformed consumer habits; new distribution standards, such as same-day deliveries, have multiplied the number of trips in city centers. Other problems emerge, particularly the fragmentation of deliveries and unattended deliveries. Companies must not neglect the environmental impact of their actions since reducing greenhouse gas emissions is one of the most significant challenges of our time.

Alternative shipping methods, such as pick-up points, allow deliveries to be concentrated in fewer points. In addition, this distribution mechanism benefits consumers by giving them maximum flexibility by letting them choose when and where to pick up their parcels. Although some European examples show that collection and delivery points offer a sustainable solution, this is not always true. This paper investigates the walking accessibility of collection and delivery points in a small urban centre in Sicily using spatial syntax methodology, calculating 5-min isochrones and evaluating walking infrastructures. The paper focuses on a particularly innovative topic, highlighting access to pick-up points from a user perspective and proposing a methodology that considers different aspects of the urban environment.The results show that good spatial accessibility of the pick-up points is not always linked to an equally good level of population coverage and the goodness of the associated pedestrian infrastructures.

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Russo, A., Tesoriere, G., Al-Rashid, M.A., Campisi, T. (2023). Pick-Up Point Location Optimization Using a Two-Level Multi-objective Approach: The Enna Case Study. In: Gervasi, O., et al. Computational Science and Its Applications – ICCSA 2023 Workshops. ICCSA 2023. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 14106. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-37111-0_22

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-37111-0_22

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