Sustainability of Urban Consumption Practices

Urban logistics are becoming increasingly complex: in addition to the heterogeneity of goods transported and of the means of transportation, urban logistics encompass diverse multiple stakeholders (local authorities, transporters, retailers). The sustainability of goods transported and personal mobility will be a major challenge for both public and private sectors. The NYU Rudin Center for Transportation will conduct research aiming to understand the sustainability challenges associated with freight and passenger mobility in cities, and recommend policies for sustainable consumption practices at the local level. The sustainability research will deepen understanding of the true sustainability of urban residents who commute by public transportation, but regularly receive packages from online retailers, and recommend corresponding policies.

This work will be conducted with the research group 6-t: Bureau de Recherche, based in Paris. The project aims to better understand and compare the consumption practices and mobility behaviors of the residents living in two of the major cities in the world (Paris and NYC). The work will be conducted through a simultaneous survey in both cities, analysis, stakeholder meeting and narrative.

As part of this project’s outreach efforts, Principal Investigator Sarah Kaufman, Assistant Director of the Rudin Center for Transportation and principal investigator for the project, presented initial findings to Marianne Daude, Paris Deputy Mayor for Transportation, at Paris City Hall.