How to improve the sustainability of logistics on the Coherent Campus at Newcastle University?

Abstract

The aim of this thesis was to improve the sustainability of logistics on the Coherent Campus at Newcastle University. The wider problems of unsustainable nature of urban freight logistics, at an international, national and local level, were emergent in the academic peer reviewed literature, with 77% of all articles reviewed published after 2011. The literature revealed challenges to all three pillars of sustainability: economic, social and environmental. As part of the scoping, a semi-systematic literature review was combined with a sociotechnical theoretical framing and four research questions were identified: RQ1: How to improve the sustainability of logistics on the Coherent Campus at Newcastle University? RQ2: To what extent can sustainable HEI logistics only be achieved through sustainable procurement practices? RQ3: How effective were participatory research approaches in facilitating this improvement? RQ4: What novel approaches for policy and practice locally, nationally and at an EU level could be developed from this work? A research philosophy grounded in the social sciences, pragmatism, abduction, constructionism and pluralist ontology was chosen; methodologically, a systems approach of Action Research was selected. Within that, the Design and Monitoring Framework, the Business Model CANVAS, archival procurement data, and empirical traffic surveys were all deployed. A pilot demonstration of a receiver-led inbound consolidation centre service was trialled. RQ1 confirmed the utility of the approach adopted, and the intervention demonstrated, potentially yielding a circa 16% reduction in freight vehicles coming to campus. RQ2 was answered in the negative, but assessed the successful action taken. The effectiveness of the participatory research approaches taken was confirmed in answer to RQ3. Policy recommendations were developed and detailed in answer to RQ4. A novel contribution to theoretical knowledge was made, in the development and presentation of practical knowing, in the form of a socio-technical framing.