Barriers to urban freight policy implementation: The case of urban consolidation center in Oslo

As a measure for more environmentally friendly and efficient urban freight, the Norwegian capital Oslo sought to implement a UCC demonstration in the city center. However, the process of establishing UCC as a demonstration measure within the set time frame was ultimately stopped without success. By using the experiences from this process, the paper provides a more solid basis for renewed efforts at implementation in the future. With basis in implementation theory, the study identifies key barriers to implementation of UCC. Findings indicate that the barriers are primarily related to financial concerns and stakeholder acceptability. However, institutional, practical and legal barriers are also of significance. Strategies to overcome the identified barriers are suggested, most importantly the need for establishing a credible and sound business model. The study makes use of perspectives from political science regarding implementation theory in order to facilitate urban freight policy. As such, it represents a novel scholarly approach in the field of urban freight research. The evaluation framework can be useful for similar studies to come and for policymakers in the design and implementation of new policy measures for urban freight.