Source: adapted from Dablanc, L. and D. Rakotonarivo (2010) “The impacts of logistic sprawl: how does the location of parcel transport terminals affect the energy efficiency of goods’ movements in Paris and what can we do about it?”, The Sixth International Conference on City Logistics; Procedia- Social and Behavioral Sciences 2(3): 6087-6096.
Logistics sprawl concerns the relocation of freight facilities and distribution centers in suburbia and is characteristic of the majority of large urban agglomerations, particularly in advanced economies. The above map reflects the process in the case of Paris, which has seen the disappearance and the relocation of a number of freight activities in its central area towards the periphery. Since economic activities and the population have not dispersed to a similar extent to logistics facilities, the amount of vehicle-km for urban freight distribution has increased.