E-commerce shipments in an X-minute city: Informing authorities on freight transport through parcel lockers

We discuss the integration of freight deliveries into the concept of an X-minute city. In particular, we explore the adoption of a dense, carrier-agnostic parcel locker network as a relevant business model for e-commerce shipments, aligning with the core principles of enhancing accessibility for residents and reducing reliance on private transport. Our exploration places particular emphasis on freight transport, which cannot be eliminated, unlike residents’ trips, and requires an assessment of its environmental impacts. In this regard, we analyse the effects of freight carriers on the liveability of an X-minute city and present insights to authorities regarding the dynamics of the delivery operations. By utilising the vehicle routing models of the carriers at a strategical level, we quantify and characterise the effects of parcel lockers on varying sizes of carriers based on a case study in Bergen, Norway. Our findings illustrate that a dense network of parcel lockers would reduce carriers’ environmental impacts, measured by their driven distances as well as their number and duration of stops. We observe that eliminating carriers’ failed deliveries brings substantial benefits to the city and a notable portion of this arises from small carriers. In addition, expanding the delivery range through parcel lockers provides further benefits liveability, which is driven by the improved efficiency of large carriers. The results point out that enabling small carriers to have access to parcel lockers is one of the key measures in enhancing the liveability of an X-minute city, unless further interventions are designed to directly regulate their operations. As small carriers lack the resources to deploy parcel lockers, their failed deliveries are expensive for urban environments.