Ghent’s Multifunctional Synchromodality Resilient City Logistics Hub
The Living Lab at Ghent (LL1) aims to create a flexible and resilient logistic system for multi-user and multifunctional purposes. The Living Lab will focus on the impact of events caused by climate change on the operations of the City Logistics Hub.
(for shared use)
Scenario
The key challenge for LL1 is to set up a multipurpose scenario which can automatically support IWT during a crisis. During standard operations, true to the synchromodal paradigm, the City Logistics Hubs will synchronize the arrival of the freight over barges with various transport modes that are compatible with the objectives of the City of Ghent to focus on the quality of living and environmental sustainability.
These modes include cargo bikes and electrical vehicles that can move freight and people into and out of the city. Yet, when cargo arrives in the City Logistics Hub over inland waterways, it requires infrastructure to load the cargo off the barge and onto the Urban logistic transport modes.
New automated technology and the upgrade of the physical infrastructure will allow, on the one hand, to improve Synchromodality, and on the other hand, to provide a support “package” for a time of crisis, thus increasing the overall infrastructure’s resilience.