Meta-Governance and Urban Logistics: Exploring National Governance in France

During the past decade, the integration of urban logistics into local public policy has become a reality in various European local authorities. However, the emergence of a wide range of local and multi-stakeholder governance structures dedicated to urban logistics reveals both the fragmentation of public policy and the absence of strategic guidelines at the national level. In France, since 2022, a national governance structure has been gradually taking shape to address this limitation and meet the expectations of local urban logistics stakeholders. Two entities, representing more than 30 professional federations and public associations, have been created: the CTLUD for Economic Stakeholders and the CTLUD for Local Authorities. Consequently, this study seeks to analyze the organizational processes, roles, and implications of national urban logistics governance by drawing on the conceptual framework of collaborative governance developed by Emerson et al. (2012). We conducted a cross-analysis combining fifteen semi-structured interviews, participant observations, and documentary data. The results confirm the existence of collaborative governance at the national level of urban logistics, despite significant organizational disparities between the two bodies. The study also highlights their legitimacy, reinforced by their capacity for political influence with the government. This national structuring of urban logistics thus constitutes a strategic interface between territorial governance and the state. However, several obstacles weaken this emerging governance. In particular, the limited politicization of urban logistics constrains the commitment of public actors, which remains essential for the development of integrated and sustainable governance of urban logistics.