Assessment of city logistics initiative categories sustainability: case of Belgrade

The goal of city logistics (CL) is to reconcile the interests of all stakeholders and find compromise solutions for problems associated with the urban logistics flows. A great number of CL initiatives have been the subject of research, analysis and practical application. Some of them indicated significant positive effects, but their implementation brought only partial effects. The non-systematic approach in problem-solving and neglect of other stakeholders’ interests by the local government caused the failure of many applied CL initiatives. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the CL initiatives categories sustainability, taking into consideration the goals of all stakeholder groups. This is the first paper analyzing various CL initiatives categories simultaneously, from the aspect of providers, shippers/receivers, local authorities, and residents, which is the main contribution of the paper. Twelve basic CL initiative categories were considered, while their assessment and ranking were performed with a novel hybrid multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) model based on fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process and fuzzy Measurement Alternatives and Ranking according to Compromise Solution, which is another contribution of the paper. The results indicate that the development and implementation of logistics centers emerge as the best CL initiative category for solving CL problems in the city of Belgrade. The theoretical implications of this article are the creation of a framework for the evaluation of the sustainability of CL initiatives, as well as the novel MCDM model that could be used for problem-solving in different areas. The practical implication of the article is the provision of a framework for decision-makers, policy-creators and practitioners for supporting the process of plans development and initiative implementation in the field of CL.