21 JUL 2026 (TUE) 11:35 - 12:05

Urban Delivery Futures under Emerging Aerial Mobility

Miss DUAN Mingjie     

( Supervisor: Prof Bo Huang )

Abstract:

Urban last-mile delivery is increasingly shaped by decarbonization pressure, congestion, spatial fragmentation and rising demand for time-sensitive services. In many cities, the movement of parcels, medical supplies and other small goods depends on dense but uneven ground-transport systems, where delivery performance is affected by street-network structure, terrain, water barriers, traffic conditions and the spatial distribution of demand. At the same time, emerging aerial mobility technologies have created new possibilities for rethinking how goods move through urban space. These technologies are often discussed in relation to faster delivery, reduced ground-traffic exposure and lower operational emissions, but their implementation depends on the specific urban environments in which they are introduced. 

Current research on aerial delivery and urban logistics has advanced in several directions, including vehicle performance, truck-drone coordination, facility location, fleet scheduling, energy estimation and service-network design. These studies provide important foundations for evaluating emerging delivery systems. However, a broader spatial perspective is needed to understand how different urban environments shape the conditions under which aerial delivery may become useful, feasible and scalable. Dense street networks, fragmented road access, three-dimensional built form, meteorological exposure, airspace constraints and hub accessibility may jointly influence whether aerial delivery can be translated from a technological possibility into a routine urban service. 

Against this background, this study examines the spatial and operational conditions for emerging aerial delivery in urban last-mile logistics. It integrates road-network information, three-dimensional urban form, demand distribution, traffic conditions, wind exposure, hub coverage and corridor constraints to assess how urban environments shape delivery performance and operational feasibility. The study aims to support a more selective understanding of where emerging aerial delivery systems may contribute to future urban logistics and what urban constraints need to be considered before such systems can be implemented at scale.