Citation: Fontes, F.; Andrade, V.
Bicycle Logistics as a Sustainability
Strategy: Lessons from Brazil and
Germany. Sustainability 2022,14,
12613. https://doi.org/10.3390/
su141912613
Academic Editor: Tamás Bányai
Received: 22 June 2022
Accepted: 25 September 2022
Published: 4 October 2022
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sustainability
Article
Bicycle Logistics as a Sustainability Strategy: Lessons from
Brazil and Germany
Fernando Fontes 1,* and Victor Andrade 2,*
1Department of Work, Technology and Participation, Technical University of Berlin, 10587 Berlin, Germany
2Department of Engineering Technology and Didactics, Technical University of Denmark,
2750 Ballerup, Denmark
*Correspondence: [email protected] (F.F.); [email protected] (V.A.)
Abstract:
The last mile presents the logistics chain’s lowest efficiency and highest cost. Thus, the
bicycle emerges as a promising alternative in the rising efforts to advance urban logistics sustainability.
This research aims to identify factors for successful last-mile cycle logistics implementation in a
comparative study of two cities from the Global South and North. Berlin and Sao Paulo cases were
analyzed to outline the cycle logistics ecosystem and to derive learnings. Twelve semi-structured
interviews were conducted with key stakeholders of each city to gather their perceptions of cycle
logistics challenges, social acceptance, green premium, good practices, and main agents, enabling
the analysis of each city’s ecosystem and a comparative analysis between them. The systematization
of challenges, good practices, and stakeholders’ maps highlighted four aspects for successful cycle
logistics implementation: clear identification of demands and challenges; acknowledgment and
communication of learnings; advancement of practices addressing local challenges; cooperation
between diverse key stakeholders. Ultimately, two relevant takeaways are that cycle logistics has
a specific application scope and it is an alternative among many options that, together with the
comprehension of local context, is crucial for the cycle logistics development. Still, experiences and
exchanges with other cities may leverage implementation success.
Keywords: bicycle; last mile; logistics; urban logistics; cycle logistics; urban mobility
1. Introduction
Urbanization and transport’s unprecedented rate of GHG emissions pressures the
world’s climate in both the Global South and North [1]. After a six-fold rise between 1950
and 2020, more than half of the world’s inhabitants lived in urban areas in 2020 and may
reach 68% by 2050 [
2
]. Thus, despite covering less than 5% of Earth’s landmass, urban
centers consume and emit about 70% of global energy and GHG [3].
Transport is the fastest growing source of GHG emission and the second most emitting
sector (19%) globally [
4
]. It also spews non-CO2 emissions, such as black carbon and
aerosols. Road transportation discharged 73% of transport emissions, contributing to global
oil demand growth [5].
Despite its essential importance for people and the urban environment, UFT is the
main quality of life disturbance in cities [
6
,
7
]. Roughly, UFT emits 6% of all transport GHG,
produces 12% of km traveled, and has 4% of urban land reserved for its operations [
8
].
Light goods trucks, mostly in urban logistics, are serious generators of traffic accidents,
noise, and air pollution [9–11].
City logistics seeks effective and efficient means of transport while considering its
negative impacts on the urban perimeter [
12
]. Recently, global trends have arisen to either
put or to relieve pressure on urban logistics. On the one hand, e-commerce, online grocery
shopping, and customer expectations have engendered real estate logistics issues, smaller
shipment sizes, and an increased number of trips, i.e., a vicious cycle of speed, space, and
Sustainability 2022,14, 12613. https://doi.org/10.3390/su141912613 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability
Sustainability 2022,14, 12613 2 of 29
emissions [
13
,
14
]. On the other hand, urban logistics foster business, employment, and
urban life. Thus, sustainable alternatives, such as circular supply chain and light freight
vehicles, seek to become a global trend despite the challenges related to the additional
green premium [15–17].
The last mile concerns deliveries’ final stages within the urban logistics network or,
going one step broader, either the first or the last stretch of the supply chain [
18
,
19
]. Due to
its traits—intense use of diesel vans, frequent stop and go, roaming in a complex urban
grid—the last mile is considered the most inefficient, most pollutant, and most expensive
stage of the supply chain, comprising 13–75% of total supply chain costs [20,21].
In this context, cycle logistics emerges as a promising alternative to more sustainable
last-mile logistics. Cycle logistics stands for professional logistics utilizing either bicycles,
cargo bicycles, bicycle trailers, or light three- or four-wheelers with or without electric
assistance and potentially reducing logistics energy and space consumption [
16
]. According
to [
22
], the cargo bicycles’ market is experiencing growth, with distinction to Europe.
However, cycle logistics is not a one-fits-all solution [
23
]. It is one approach of a mix of
alternatives to promote more sustainable urban logistics. Thus, as with many others, it
depends on the specificities of the urban context and may be reinforced when used in
tandem with other measures [24].
Cycle logistics research is young, and its academic stream is still under-developed and
focuses on simulations and demonstration projects, featuring knowledge imperfections
mainly on its business and economic side [
25
]. This research field is still fragmented
among distinct disciplines and journals and applies diverse methods, with prominence to
modeling, simulation, case study, and survey, without emphasis on interviews [
26
]. Further,
UFT research has had limited academic publications, and the stigma of a secondary topic in
the urban transport literature, which focus was, and still is, passenger transport [
27
]. Last-
mile urban logistics research still requires a framework encompassing distinct approaches,
methods, and objectives [
28
]. Furthermore, it focuses on technical specifications and lacks
business concepts, strategies, and stakeholders’ coordination and exchange research [29].
The scientific literature about cycle logistics is scarce. This study contributes to the
logistics field by focusing on a comparative study highlighting the particularities and
similarities of cycle logistics initiatives in the Global South and North. As a result, this
original approach in the cycle logistics research field brings fruitful findings for academia
and the mobility industry.
This paper aims to identify factors for a successful cycle logistics implementation in
the last mile from a comparative analysis of experiences from two large cities in the Global
South and North. A closer analysis outlines the cycle logistics ecosystems in Berlin and Sao
Paulo, considering their challenges, good practices, and stakeholders.
The research scope concentrates on bicycle logistics in the last mile and encompasses
not only conventional bicycles and tricycles but also new models with electric assistance
and expanded load capacity. To discuss and compare the bicycle logistics ecosystems of
Sao Paulo and Berlin, the research relies on secondary and primary data collection through
reviews of the literature and semi-structured interviews, which build the novelty of the
research: the outline and analysis of the bicycle logistics ecosystem of each city and the
comparative analysis between them.
2. Materials and Methods
This research relies on a qualitative approach to fulfill its goals. It considers complexity
by combining the real-world context and distinct perspectives. Thus, it examines the
object in its natural ambiance or utilizes people’s reports as data. Its systematic flexibility
concentrates on characterization and interpretation, aiming for new concept development
or organization process assessment [
30
]. Figure 1presents each methodology phase of this
research and its flow.
Sustainability 2022,14, 12613 3 of 29
Figure 1. Research methodology step by step.
To develop a comparative study between the cycle logistics ecosystems in the Global
South and North, the cities of Sao Paulo and Berlin were selected for the development of
this exploratory research. The cities were selected based on two criteria: the presence of
innovative cycle logistics solutions and local government policies promoting cycle logistics.
Based on a comparative analysis between Sao Paulo and Berlin, the formulation
of the research question, “how to enhance the likelihood of a successful cycle logistics
implementation as the last mile sustainable strategy?” was the research starting point.
This phase also included converting the question into the main research goal—to identify
factors for a successful cycle logistics implementation in the last mile and to outline the
cycle logistic ecosystems in Berlin and Sao Paulo—which was further broken down into
three specific goals: (1) determine cycle logistics implementation challenges in Berlin
and Sao Paulo; (2) identify good practices that contributed to cycle logistics successful
implementation; (3) draw cycle logistics stakeholders’ maps for Berlin and Sao Paulo to
better understand their ecosystems.
The literature review compiled and combined prior research to establish and associate
the new research with existing knowledge, i.e., it sets the state of the art of the topic. The
literature review produced an overview of the research area, combined and extrapolated
findings into broader results, and revealed areas that still lack research [
31
–
33
]. This
research employs a narrative review of the literature to collect secondary data, to supply
reliable and scientific content, and to provide state of the art content.
Regarding the definition of the sample, the goal was to have a holistic perspective of
the ecosystems through the lens of the different stakeholders. The sampling strategy was
determined in advance and evolved during the process due to practical constraints.
Moreover, the sampling followed a critical case approach, choosing especially relevant
cases to be interviewed. It identified agents in the four stakeholders’ dimensions—public
administration, companies, organized civil society, and lobbying associations—in Berlin
and Sao Paulo. As companies are the most present stakeholder in the cycle logistics
ecosystem currently, two to four interviews were conducted with representatives of this
dimension, while just one interview was conducted with each representative of the other
three dimensions.
The interview guide is derived from the transcription of the research goals. Open-
ended questions comprise the interview guide and provide opportunities to discuss cycle
logistics topics in more detail. The interview’s main topics were cycle logistics status
quo, challenges, good practices, key stakeholders, and wishes and perspectives. Semi-
structured interviews were applied, because they enable topic flexibility and depth along
with more open and spontaneous interviewer–interviewee relationships, despite their time
intensity and possibility of anonymity concerns [
34
]. Eleven interviews were conducted
and recorded between December 2021 and February 2022 through video conferencing
software. Exceptionally, one interview was conducted through a written exchange.
The data were anonymized and transcribed using the smooth verbatim transcript sys-
tem, generating coherent and grammatically structured text without decorating words [
35
].
Open coding suits qualitative content analysis and provides a non-biased description and
understanding of the material as the categories come from the data. The open coding
procedure followed the traditional and systematic steps depicted in Figure 2[35].
Sustainability 2022,14, 12613 4 of 29
Figure 2. Application of open coding steps in the research [35].
In Step 1, building on the previous theoretical background, the research question
was used. Specific overarching categories were defined based on the interview guide
breakdown in step 2. Next, transcriptions were read and sub-categories were codified and
subsumed, i.e., 493 excerpts into 241 sub-categories. In step 4, the stability of the category
system, considering fit and level of abstraction, was checked through the analysis of each
set of transcriptions from Berlin and Sao Paulo. Then, the same rules were applied to the
whole data set. Finally, in step 6, the sub-categories were bundled into 56 main categories
under the overarching categories, addressing specific topics. The open coding process
resulted in a systematized set of overarching, main, and sub-categories.
The research analysis and results, derived from the open coding outcome and the
literature review, examined and summarized the findings to extract patterns and insights.
Findings and analyses are presented on a per-city basis. Furthermore, a comparative
analysis of both cities highlights their similarities and specificities. Ultimately, the analyses
and comparison of cycle logistics in both cities provide diagnoses and conceive last mile
cycle logistics implementation as a key success factor.
3. Results
Giving a holistic perspective of the cycle logistics ecosystem in Berlin and Sao Paulo,
this section presents the findings based on interviews conducted with representatives of
public administration, civil society, lobbying and associations, and company dimensions
from both cities. The section is divided into two, the first addressing Berlin and the
second Sao Paulo. Each subsection contextualizes the city, presents interview findings, and
analyzes the cycle logistics ecosystem. Findings and analysis are presented according to
the research goals and open coding overarching categories.
3.1. Berlin Cycle Logistics Status
Recently, the EU and Germany gradually included bicycle usage in UFT in their policy
framework. The EU, in 2011, set the target to reach CO
2
-free city logistics in large urban
centers by 2030 [
36
]. In 2013, it demanded the Member States to include urban logistics
in their SUMPs and, in 2015, clearly pointed to the bicycle as an alternative to current
UFT vehicles [
37
,
38
]. In 2020, it included cargo-bicycle use in UFT through SULP as one
point of its future mobility strategy [
39
]. Furthermore, expert groups work on developing
cargo-bike regional standards and regulations [
40
]. In Germany, the new national cycling
plan promotes commercial transport use of bicycles, promises specific funding and financ-
ing schemes to minimize the green premium, and encourages stakeholder participation
to promote social acceptance [
41
]. Moreover, Germany made funding for (cooperative)
microdepots and e-cargo bikes with payloads over 120 kg for commercial use available
under its NKI [42,43].
Berlin pushes a traffic turnaround with the bicycle as a key pillar. To promote the
bicycle, to become safer, and to achieve the climate-neutrality goal by 2045, the Berlin
Senate enacted the Berlin Mobility Act in 2018, which forms the legal framework for the
mobility transition in the city, setting a precedent in Germany [
44
]. Among its sections, the
Act has a specific one for “Bicycle Traffic” and another for “Commercial Transport”, which
is expected to advance microdepots and low-emission vehicles, such as cargo bicycles, in
the city; however, it is delayed, i.e., not yet published [
44
–
46
]. Regarding bicycles in general,
Berlin established the company infraVelo to strengthen cycling in the city, released the
Sustainability 2022,14, 12613 5 of 29
Bicycle Plan to extend cycling infrastructure and to ensure quality standards, and projected
ten rapid cycle connections to link its center and outskirts [
45
,
47
,
48
]. Berlin’s Integrated
Commercial Transport Concept (IWVK), which is the commercial traffic planning of the
city subordinated to the StEP MoVe and the Act, points to cargo bikes’ and microhubs’
last-mile fit and indicates repackaging, bike-data sharing, and funding measures [49].
Berlin presents prominence in Germany and the UFT. Berlin is the largest city by area
and population (3.5 MM) in Germany, and its population, economic activity, and traffic
densities are located majorly in the inner-city area [
50
]. One-third of people own a car, but
almost all own a bicycle [
51
]. Regarding Post and CEP services in Berlin, 415,000 shipments
are delivered by 2500 vehicles, mostly diesel vans between 08:00 and 10:00 in the morning,
every day [
49
]. On average, each vehicle ships 150 parcels in 40-50 km daily routes [
49
].
These vehicles are stationary 90% of the operating time, and they stop three times per
kilometer in inner-city areas, with six parcels delivered per stop [49].
In this context, Berlin experiences a dynamic cycle logistics ecosystem with specific
associations, courier services, startups operating e-grocery services and developing new heavy-
duty cargo-bike models, traditional Post and CEP companies using bicycles, and cooperative
microdepots. Based on the four research dimensions, the findings of SenUMVK (former
SenUVK), ADFC Berlin, RLVD, BEHALA, and Smart City|DB interviews are presented.
3.1.1. Senatsverwaltung für Umwelt, Mobilität, Verbraucher- und Klimaschutz (SenUMVK)
The SenUMVK, a specialist department of the Berlin Senate, is a State Ministry and
Authority responsible for environmental, transport, and consumer and climate protection
policies, for instance, the city Mobility Act, mobility turnaround, and bicycle traffic [
52
].
The SenUMVK representative’s perceptions of cycle logistics are shown below.
Cycling has become a mainstream topic in Berlin and society, and specialists have
pushed cycle infrastructure development, which has also benefited cycle logistics. The
Berlin Senate is improving the framework for cargo cycles and is providing planning
guidelines and promotion strategies for cycle logistics with the IWVK and the work on
the Mobility Act commercial vehicle module. Activities in cycle logistics go beyond the
courier branch and expand to several companies, quantity and diversity of bike models,
and media coverage. However, despite the growth, the representative says that cycle
logistics still has a high green premium, with an additional cost in relation to solutions
that emit a greater amount of greenhouse gases. Cycle logistics are undergoing a learning
phase, where solutions are not standardized, microdepot knowledge is generated, and
experimentation is still necessary.
Berlin is undergoing political, knowledge, and operational challenges to advance
cycle logistics. The SenUMVK was unable to implement the commercial vehicle module
of the Mobility Act under the last legislation. Furthermore, the inexistence of dedicated
land use for microdepots and the lack of background data for political and planning dis-
cussions hinder microdepot feasibility and cycle logistics promotion. A shortage of a
qualified labor force and non-standardized processes hamper sector growth. Lastly, part-
nerships and knowledge beyond transport are key to identifying demands and establishing
valid solutions.
Nevertheless, innovations, lessons, and good practices emerge to propel cycle logistics.
The KoMoDo project innovated the cooperative use of microdepots and highlighted the
importance of this system to advance cycle logistics, considering aspects such as safety,
security, and support facilities, and defining a dedicated land-use category. The SenUMVK
contracted a study to identify microdepot locations, aiming at a network development
and adjustment of land-use catalog. Good practices range from defining the role of cycle
logistics and microhubs and binding the policy framework to the law (the Mobility Act)
to using big bikes to generate momentum, integrating politicians into the agenda, and
proactively dialoguing with stakeholders that oppose (or not) cycle logistics. A key lesson
is that change takes time and resources; thus, a comprehensive and evolutionary approach
should simultaneously test, exchange information, and adjust diverse elements. Therefore,
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