Relevance of city logistics modeling efforts

In this paper the authors present a review of city logistics modeling efforts reported in the literature for urban freight analysis. The review is based on an extensive search in the academic literature. The authors position the contributions in a framework that takes into account the diversity and complexity found in the present-day city logistics practice. Next, this paper covers the different aspects in the modeling selection process that includes (1) the stakeholders involved in the model (2) the objective behind the modeling (3) the defining criteria i.e., the descriptor for modeling purpose and (4) the tool used for achieving objective with the help of descriptor, i.e. the perceptive. The authors argue that such factors are evidently demonstrating forces behind urban freight transportation and thus are far more determinative for carrying out urban freight modeling. In the discussion and overview the authors take these situational factors as the starting point for categorizing and evaluating the city logistics modeling literature. The review analyzes the trends of city logistics modeling research in terms of its relevance to city logistics problems and attempts to identify missing links in modeling urban freight domain.