Using an Agent-based Model to Explore Alternative Modes of Last-Mile Parcel Delivery in Urban Contexts

Abstract

The scale of parcel delivery is increasing rapidly, with indications that it will continue to do so. This presents a challenge both to those in the industry who wish to understand how they might adapt and change their ways of doing delivery and the policymakers who would like to encourage this in order to positively impact urban areas in terms of traffic and pollution. We present an early implementation of an agent-based modelling framework of parcel delivery processes, flexible enough to be extended to explore a variety of scenarios. We apply it to a baseline case study to begin the process of exploring the effectiveness of switching to a different method of delivery.