Definition of sustainability

Often people notice problems in their city and on their roads but find it difficult to articulate what the problems are or even what they would rather see in their cities instead. So, it is a good idea here to start with understanding what kind of city we actually want and how the urban freight transport system needs to be adjusted to achieve that vision.

A good place to start is the definition of sustainability. In the famous Brundtland Report, sustainable development is defined as “a development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” In simple terms, one should balance the need and method of their own activities – whether leisure, work, or any other category – with the impacts on other people and environment, not only in the short term, but in the long term!

A useful framework to think these impacts of these activities through is with the so-called “triple bottom line”, which encompasses the economic, social and environmental impacts of the activity. To move towards a sustainable system, whether by improving current transport activities or by introducing new types of services, public and private instruments can be implemented that enhance the positive impact, while reducing the negative impacts of the activity. This is difficult! Trade-offs and compromises are common, especially with regard to decreased economic attractiveness of the city. Also, questions regarding the forecasting of long term impacts are challenging.

Still, to save our cities, protect our future generation, and to preserve our (so far only habitable) planet, action needs to be taken. Studying the science and learning the best practices to achieve this is therefore vital. Let’s learn a little bit more about sustainability of urban freight transport in the next sections.