LOCATION DETERMINANTS OF CITY LOGISTICS CENTRES IN THE CONCEPT OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

The decision-making processes for planning an environmentally compatible infrastructure are extremely complex, as are the logistics processes themselves. The concepts for the location of urban logistics centres have been compared with the ecological danger zones in Poland. In this way, areas with a high degree of environmental degradation, particularly unfavourable from the point of view of the location of new logistics centres, were identified. The decision on the location of the planned project should be based on a previously developed, special procedure for assessing investment implementation and its impact on the natural environment. The study aims to indicate the infrastructure of city logistics centres as one of the necessary and most effective factors determining sustainable development. As a rule, infrastructure can be created in two ways. The first one recommends building the enterprise and then its infrastructure, while the second one recommends the opposite approach. From the point of view of the infrastructure of sustainable development, the second approach seems appropriate, allowing for the effective implementation of the sustainable development strategy. The first approach may only lead to a decline in the meaning of sustainable development in mentality and social awareness (Ratajczak, 2000). The variety of approaches in the literature on the subject defining the concept of sustainable development infrastructure covers both the area of economy, society and the environment. Significant from the point of view of future generations seems to be the environmental aspect related to the creation of urban logistics centres in the era of sustainable development. One of the essential properties of the natural environment is equilibrium, which occurs when the outflow and supply of energy and matter in nature are balanced. The natural environment is in constant interaction with humans; to prevent its gradation, measures are taken to prevent damage to the physical environment or natural resources. There are also activities to reduce the risk of losses or encourage the efficient use of natural resources, including measures to save energy and use renewable energy sources (Tokarski, 2020).