Assessing the sustainability of urban logistics solutions: Conceptual framework applied to an urban consolidation center in Madrid

Urban logistics is becoming increasingly important due to the growth of cities, changes in consumer behavior driven by new technologies, and the surge of e-commerce. To improve sustainability, cities are striving to develop measures to reduce the negative environmental and social impacts of last-mile logistics. This paper presents a conceptual framework for assessing the sustainability of urban freight logistics solutions, incorporating expert stakeholders' opinions and tailored to the specific geographical and social context of the urban areas. The framework is then applied to the case of an Urban Consolidation Center in Madrid's city center, examining scenarios with various low-carbon vehicle fleet configurations, and comparing them with other urban contexts. The paper contributes a generalizable and adaptable tool for evaluating the sustainability of urban freight solutions, while also providing empirical insights relevant to logistics operators, urban planners, and decision-makers seeking sustainable pathways for city logistics. • Sustainability rating of last-mile logistics solutions based on a multi-criteria framework. • The weighting framework incorporates expert judgments and the urban context. • Application to Urban Consolidation Center and low-emission vehicles in Madrid. • Potential benefits of adopting UCC and clean fleet to boost sustainable logistics. • The conceptual framework can be used by different stakeholders.