Urban logistics facility

Introduced to improve urban movement while taking sustainable development into account, urban logistics facilities provide transhipment points that consolidate the flows entering and leaving conurbations and reduce transport requirements in densely populated areas. As defined by the French CERTU, a city's logistics network can be built around five types of facility: urban logistics zones, urban distribution centres, vehicle reception points, goods reception points and urban logistics boxes. Transport between these facilities and customers in the heart of the urban area tends to favour a modal shift to rail or waterway and the use of alternative vehicles.