Transport organizers' integrating role in city logistics

Abstract

The number of urban residents is growing by nearly 60 million people every year. With the growth of cities and urban population, cities are becoming more and more the centre of worldwide development. Being the centre of growth, cities have the additional responsibility to make development activities more sustainable and environmental friendly. Increasing urbanization requires new and innovative ways to manage the complexity of urban living and to target problems of energy consumption, resource management and environmental protection. The present study is mostly based on investigating managers of transport and forwarding companies, public transport administrators and city board representatives within the Pomeranian region. Moreover, research is carried out on the analysis of practical solutions in the field of smart mobility solutions in European urban areas, documents of the European Commission and the publications prepared by industry associations. The theoretical part of the article is based on existing materials from public resources and author's research experience. The study result is an authorial framework of goods' and people's transport organizer within metropolitan areas with conceptual modelling of their functions. Thus, the organizer's specialization does not depend on the subject of transportation, and their range comprehensively covers goods flows as well as passengers' transportation. Analysis of solutions within goods and people flows within the metropolitan areas and the studies carried out on the basis of investigating key stakeholders shows that the best way within smart mobility concepts is employing specialized integrator - City Transport Organizer.