Research on Optimization and Design of Sustainable Urban Underground Logistics Network Framework

Abstract

As a new mode of transportation, the underground logistics system (ULS) has become one of the solutions to the problems of environmental pollution and traffic congestion. Considering the environmental and economic factors in urban logistics, this paper conducts comprehensive design and optimization research on the network nodes and passages of urban underground logistics and proposes a relatively complete framework for a sustainable underground logistics network. A hybrid method is proposed, which includes the set cover model used to perform the first location of urban underground logistics nodes, the fuzzy clustering method applied to classify the located logistics nodes into the first-level and second-level nodes considering the congestion in different urban areas of the city and a mixed integer programming model proposed to optimize and design the underground logistics passage to find optimal passage parameters at every underground logistics node. Based on the above hybrid method, a sustainable underground logistics network framework including all-levels logistics nodes and passages is formed, with a subdistrict of Nanjing as a case study. The discussion of results shows that this underground logistics network framework proposal is very effective in reducing logistics time cost, exhaust emission and congestion cost. It provides support for decisions in the design and development of urban sustainable underground logistics networks.

New Development Direction of Underground Logistics from the Perspective of Public Transport: A Systematic Review Based on Scientometrics

“…With the recognition of ULS, the research began to be closely related to urban logistics and dynamic planning, and gradually moved to the application research stage. The research topics focus on underground space development and management [26,27], pipe network site selection and construction [28,29], cost-benefit analysis [30][31][32], operation plan research [33,34], etc. The coordinated operation of urban underground logistics and urban subway has become a research hotspot.…”

“…The coordinated operation of urban underground logistics and urban subway has become a research hotspot. A series of studies were carried out on intermodal transport optimization of M-ULS, such as the station function design [35], station location [36], network planning [29,37], operation plan [38], and freight connection [39]. Related optimization algorithms were the mainstream of research.…”

Low-Carbon Multimodal Transportation Path Optimization under Dual Uncertainty of Demand and Time

“…Uncertainty has become an important feature of today's society. It can be seen that stochastic programming [23], fuzzy programming [24], robust optimization [25] and fuzzybased hybrid methods [26][27][28] are the effective ways to solve the uncertainty problems in multimodal transportation. The uncertainty in low carbon multimodal transportation can be divided into the uncertainty related to demand, transportation time and carbon emissions.…”

Research on the Optimization of Cross-Border Logistics Paths of the “Belt and Road” in the Inland Regions

“…It is difficult for single-objective optimization model to balance logistics time, logistics cost, and carbon emission [19]. Due to the release of low-carbon policy, some scholars have focused on the optimization of cross-border logistics paths under low-carbon policy [22][23][24].…”