Selection of policy actions for e-commerce last-mile delivery in cities: An online multi-actor multi-criteria evaluation

The ongoing expansion of e-commerce has exacerbated the costs and inefficiencies of last-mile delivery. The growing demand for goods and services is concentrated in cities, which apply increasing constraints to reduce urban externalities.The paper aims to contribute to the development of a bottom-up approach where all stakeholders are involved in the design of efficient strategies for e-commerce last-mile delivery through the understanding of their priorities and perspectives. It applies a multi-stakeholder approach to evaluate the feasibility, strengths, and weaknesses of different policy measures to enhance e-commerce distribution. To this aim, two subsequent surveys were launched online. The first one was addressed to 25 experts, while 202 respondents from different European cities fulfilled the second survey.According to the results, increasing the number of parcel lockers in the city center would receive more support among stakeholders. Members of the public administration and citizens agree on prioritizing environmental aspects for implementing strategic solutions for LMD. On the other hand, consumers argue that economic criteria should be prioritized. In general, the results suggest that no single solution fulfils or satisfies all stakeholders' objectives. However, all stakeholders express their consent to prioritize city liveability and they consider noise pollution as a secondary issue.In line with the outputs of the research, including multi-stakeholder perspectives from the early stage it is crucial in the planning of LMD policy measures in city centers. Governments and actors involved in LMD should select suitable policy measures for a comprehensive strategy to address urban sustainability targets.