Supply Chains and Urban Logistics Platforms - Sustainable Urban Logistics: Concepts, Methods and Information Systems - page 16

1-Consolidated arrival of
goods by train in the urban
railway terminal

2-Goods conveyed in transit

3-Goods loaded in light
vehicles for distribution in

4-Secured storage space for
handling machines, empty
packages and undelivered goods

6-Artisans spaces, proximity
logistics space, bicycles and
vehicles space, logistics back-up

5-Parking and maintenance for
delivery and pick-up vehicles

Fig. 3 Project of logistics hotel by Sogaris (currently in progress), Porte de la Chapelle, Paris,
France (credit: Sogaris)

the deliveries are made in the margin of the law, leaves an impression of anarchy
going against every organization policy of the urban centres.
To cope with these difficulties, a possible solution is to create places that
guarantee a secured access for delivery-men to operate their deliveries or pick-ups,
during a defined period of time. From these points, two solutions can be applied:
either operating the delivery (or pick-up) on foot, with a possible help from the
personnel or handling tools, or using services to forward the goods by smaller
vehicles or tricycles, more environmental-friendly.

4.7 Goods Reception Points (GRP)

Some zones, because of topographical, functional ore regulatory reasons are dif-
ficult to access, subsequently making the deliveries harder to process. In order to
contain the loss of dynamism and attractiveness of these places, strategically
located relay points can be set up. These interfaces are substitute to the addressee
(or shipper) to avoid the ''last meters''; the division is both spatial (transfer to the
arrival or departure point of the shipment) and temporal (delivery or pick-up in a
period according to the interests of both parties).
The relations between the GRP and urban customers can be conceived in
multiple ways (with or without the intervention of vehicles, service providers or
loan of handling machines) and can cover a wider or lesser range of products (from
regular boxes to reverse logistics shipments). Private structures (transport pro-
fessionals or others) are the main promoters of these sorts of tools.