Last-mile deliveries surge enormously, but also the problems they bring to cities like Antwerp. You get a comprehensive overview focusing on logistics and its role in the city, modelling and data collection, evaluation of urban initiatives and lessons from implementations.
Description
Academic circles as well as governments have only grown their focus on urban logistics in recent years. This is because, on the one hand, more than half of the world's population lives in urban areas and they account for 70% of total GDP worldwide (UN, 2017). On the other hand, the urban logistics that brings the goods to these consumers and economic activities causes 20-30% of the total number of kilometers driven and 16-50% of the emissions in these areas (Dablanc, 2007). E-commerce and last-mile delivery surge enormously, but also the problems they bring to cities. Planning and managing urban transport in urban areas under a dynamic context as today is key for city sustainable development.
This course provides the necessary background, knowledge and skills to do so. It is composed of two weeks of classes. During these two weeks, you will get an intensive series of interactive lectures, workshops and two excursions in and around Antwerp. Topics are organised per day: urban logistics: setting the scene, logistics and its role in the city, modelling and data collection, evaluation of urban initiatives, and implementations: lessons and challenges. Moreover, the participants will elaborate a specific assignment in groups, under supervision, including intermediary meeting moments, question rounds, and a presentation of results achieved.
Target group: The course welcomes all students, practitioners and policymakers interested in urban logistics. Multi-disciplinary participation is strongly welcomed. Students should be attending at least a Master program, and therefore have obtained a Bachelor's degree already. For practitioners and policymakers, this requirement does not apply.
Program
The Urban Logistics Summer School will take place for two weeks, starting from 15th August 2022 until 26th August 2022. We hope to offer an on-campus Summer School. However, following the corona measures, the format might change to a hybrid or online version.
Participants attending the summer school on campus will have the opportunity to participate in various social activities and excursions.
All the sessions are planned from 13:00 to 17:00 (CET) for both weeks.
Remarks
The course values 3 ECTS credits. Those wishing to collect credits, will need to prepare, during the second course week, a presentation by the last day of that week, as well as a scientific paper assignment by two weeks after the course end. The presentation is meant as a structuring of ideas and a first output of the assignment work. The subsequent paper is to thoroughly report on the research findings, with a clear introduction, problem statement, approach, findings and conclusions. The assignment is group work, and groups as well as topics will be fixed during the first course days.
The first course week can also be followed stand-alone. The tariff does not change.
To include the credits in the curriculum at the home institution, participants need an agreement with the responsible person at their university. A certificate of attendance will be awarded at the end of the programme. All certificates of completion are issued as a micro-credential.
