Survey and Modelling in Urban Freight Transport[Les transports de marchandises en ville : quelques pistes pour une modélisation]

Introduction. - The rise of congestion problems in urban surroundings and the environmental problems they induce need the definition of a global policy including the freight. For the last few years, several attempts have been done in some European countries to control the goods distribution in the cities: - in switzerland, the "Energie 2000" program includes a specific chapter about the goods in the city (City Logistik). Some studies are being driven in Basel and Zurich to limit energy consumption and environmental nuisances in this area, - in Kôln, Germany, a freight integration plan is being developed in their planning policy in collaboration with other important cities of the Ruhr, - in Netherlands, in Belgium, the governments have launched several experimental experiences of "Urban Distribution Centres" (UDCs) in order to rationalize distribution and to reduce the number of vehicles per kilometer. A real awareness of the different stakes is felt. However, most of the initiatives seem limited facing a task of importance and complexity. The difficulties of modeling and the lack of data represent essential problems.