Introduction
Nowadays, urban areas represent the right place to challenge the effects of climate change. With their high population
concentration, huge economic activity, and high energy consumption, cities represent an appropriate field to test, develop,
and promote new transportation technologies and systems. As reported in Buhrkal et al. (2012), urban areas represent only
2% of the world’s surface, but they consume more than 70% of total world resources and generate 75% of total world waste. In
addition, world urbanization trends have seen a significant growth in recent years, which will probably increase these
figures.
Currently, urban population is increasing faster than ever, encompassing more than 50% of the worldwide population,1
which results in the increase of urban movement for goods and persons in these areas. Nowadays goods distribution in city centers
is more complex and harder to manage because of limited transportation capacity of urban infrastructures and strict