Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives 13 (2022) 100556

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Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives

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research-interdisciplinary-perspectives

Establishing bicycle logistics in urban areas—Experiences from

entrepreneurs and local policy actors
Karolina Isaksson a, b, *, Jens Alm c
a
VTI, The Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute, Division of Mobility, Actors and Planning Processes, 10215 Stockholm, Sweden
b
KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Department of Urban Planning and Environment, 10044 Stockholm, Sweden
c
VTI, The Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute, Division of Mobility, Actors and Planning Processes, Bruksgatan 8, 222 36 Lund, Sweden

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Keywords: This paper aims to deepen the insights into specific policy and planning prerequisites that affect how bicycle
Bicycle logistics logistics services can be initiated and established in urban environments. Empirical data consist of policy doc­
Strategic niche management uments and qualitative interviews with bicycle logistics entrepreneurs and local policy actors from four Swedish
Sustainable transport
municipalities which are all known for their ambitious strategies for sustainable transport. The paper leads to
Local policy and planning
Transformation
insights into a variety of challenges facing the introduction of bicycle logistics in urban environments but points
also to possibilities and key issues for the further development of these types of concepts. Among these are the
importance of targeted initiatives and support for new concepts for sustainable urban freight, but also conscious
strategies for infrastructure development and a more well-informed use of public procurement processes. In
addition, the study confirms the importance of norms, attitudes and knowledge among policy makers, planners
and potential customers about bicycle logistics and its potential for urban areas.

Introduction
International targets on sustainable development and reduced
climate emissions requires a substantial transformation of the current
transport sector, regarding both personal transport and freight logistics.
In this article, the focus is on urban freight, which is a matter of critical
importance for realising sustainable transport systems (Fossheim &
Andersen, 2017), not the least in relation to the increasing share of e-
commerce which has been a trend for several years and which appears to
increase even further in the wake of Covid-19. Sustainable urban freight
is a research area under rapid development, and in recent years, themes
related to city logistics (Koning & Conway, 2016; Akgün et al., 2019),
electrification (Muñoz-Villamizar et al., 2017; Navarro et al., 2016;
Jaller et al., 2020), automation (Jaller et al., 2020; Figliozzi & Jennings,
2020), and digitalisation (Taniguchi et al., 2016) have gained increased
attention. There is also an emerging discussion about the need for new
concepts for urban freight that can contribute substantially to the
transformation to a sustainable transport system (see e.g., Navarro et al.,
2016; Nesterova & Quak 2016). Within urban freight, one of the most
obvious areas for innovation and ‘purposive experimentation’ (Sengers
et al 2019.) is related to the development and introduction of new
concepts vehicles for so-called ’last-mile’ deliveries. At present, this part
of the transport chain is dominated by light trucks, which results in
congestion, emissions, noise, and greater risk of accidents in the urban
space (Arvidsson & Pazirandeh, 2017; Cyclelogistics, 2019; Gruber and
Kihm, 2016; Oliviera et al., 2017). Emerging bicycle logistics services is
one specific concept identified as a promising alternative (Gruber et al
2014; Arvidsson & Pazirandeh, 2017; Melo & Baptista, 2017; Marujo
et al., 2018), which is the focus of the present study. Specifically, we
focus on the type of bicycle logistics services that can deliver larger
quantities of goods with the help of an electrically assisted bike with a
specially designed cargo space—in some cases a cart, in other cases a
container connected to the bike (Schliwa et al., 2015; Navarro et al.,
2016; Arvidsson & Pazirandeh, 2017).
Previous studies have demonstrated that bicycle logistics is a
potentially important concept for reducing the climate impact of urban
freight transport while also realising goals for efficient land use, reduced
noise, increased safety and security for pedestrians and cyclists, and
cost-efficiency (Muñoz-Villamizar et al., 2017; Oliviera et al., 2017;
Cyclelogistics, 2019; Marujo et al 2018; Arvidsson, 2020). Bicycle lo­
gistics is thus relevant to consider in relation to the need for rapid
emission reductions and the situation with growing e-commerce, which

* Corresponding author at: VTI, The Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute, Division of Mobility, Actors and Planning Processes, 10215
Stockholm, Sweden.
E-mail addresses: karolina.isaksson@vti.se (K. Isaksson), jens.alm@vti.se (J. Alm).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trip.2022.100556
Received 3 August 2021; Accepted 1 February 2022
Available online 14 February 2022
2590-1982/© 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
K. Isaksson and J. Alm
has led to a significant increase of distribution traffic in many cities
(Trafikanalys, 2019). However, while bicycle logistics exhibits inter­
esting potential, it will not automatically become a key part of urban
freight transport in the future (Akgün et al., 2019; Cyclelogistics, 2019).
Based on previous research, we know that there are many challenges
associated with innovation in the freight sector. Examples include a lack
of competence and/or strategic capacity among local authorities
(Lindholm & Blinge, 2014; Fossheim & Andersen, 2017), and a lack of
data and limited communication between public and private actors
(Lindholm, 2013; Fossheim & Andersen, 2017; Cyclelogistics, 2019).
Furthermore, Arvidsson (2020) emphasises that it is difficult to trans­
form the existing urban freight transport regime and the concepts, actor
constellations, traditions, and perspectives that characterise the freight
sector today. The established freight companies, customers, and urban
planners often have a preconception that urban freight deliveries are
best performed with larger or smaller trucks, and most parts of the urban
freight transport system builds on that idea (Civitas, 2015; Visser et al.,
2014). A recent study by Thoma & Gruber (2020) has identified factors
that are likely to influence the adoption of cargo bikes in cities. Ac­
cording to their study, which was based on a survey aimed at organi­
sations interested in cargo cycles, the most important drivers for cycle
logistics are cost-benefits, urban advantages (including accessibility and
environmental benefits) and other ‘soft’ benefits like health and image
for organisations. The most important barriers were related to infra­
structure constraints, worries about vehicle performance (spatial
coverage, loading capacity etc), concerns for the riders (acceptance etc)
and worries about theft, implementation costs etc.
Aim and research questions
With this article, we want to further explore and analyse the types of
challenges that has been identified in previous research, by focusing
specifically on the experiences of bicycle logistics entrepreneurs and
local policy actors. A key question that has guided our work is what it
would take for the emerging niche of bicycle logistics services to begin to
transform the existing urban freight regime. The specific aim of the
study was to deepen the insights into policy and planning prerequisites
that affect how bicycle logistics services can be initiated and established
in urban environments.
Our research has been focused on the following questions.
• What experiences do local innovators have of initiating and estab­
lishing bicycle logistics in urban environments?
• What ideas and expectations regarding bicycle logistics services do
innovators and local and regional planners express?
• What are the main obstacles and opportunities for upscaling bicycle
logistics and challenging existing ways of providing urban freight
transport?
Theoretical framework
The multi-level perspective
The study finds its analytical inspiration in literature on sustain­
ability transitions, where the multi-level perspective (MLP) and strategic
niche management (SNM) are of specific relevance for our work. MLP is
used as a heuristic framework that provides a conceptual overview of
‘the multi-dimensional complexity of changes in socio-technical sys­
tems’ (Geels, 2010, p. 495). It supports the exploration of the dynamics
of change processes with a focus on three analytical levels:
The landscape level, which refers to slowly changing external factors
such as political ideologies, macro-economic trends, and spatial
structures, i.e. factors that cannot be directly influenced by indi­
vidual actors (Kern, 2012; Geels, 2012).
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Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives 13 (2022) 100556
The regime level, which refers to ‘the “dominant” configuration of
actors, structures and practices’ that preserves the functioning of a
societal system (Avelino & Rotmans, 2009, p. 545). This includes
intangible rules, e.g., shared beliefs, norms, and standardised ways of
doing (Geels, 2012). A regime usually provides stability but may also
cause lock-ins by defending the status quo.
The niche level, which refers to narrow, micro-level settings where
‘non-conformism and innovation can develop’ (Avelino & Rotmans,
2009, p. 545). In the literature, niches are often described as ‘pro­
tected spaces’ where ‘radical’ (as a contrast to incremental) inno­
vation occurs, evolves, and eventually may start to affect a dominant
regime and ultimately even overturn it (Schot & Geels 2008; Geels,
2012; Kern, 2012).
According to the MLP framework, transitions are dependent on de­
velopments on all three levels, and there may also be interactions be­
tween the levels at specific phases of a transition process (Kern, 2012;
Rip & Kemp, 1998; Geels, 2012). A transition process thus needs to
involve a transformation of an existing regime (Avelino & Rotmans
2009; Kern, 2012). Niches have been understood to be highly important
for sustainability transitions as they provide the seeds for systemic
change. In practice, emerging niches are not always successful in
transforming the regime. Instead, they may be absorbed and ‘locked-in’
into an incumbent regime, thus preventing a transformation. However,
if the regime is destabilised, new niches can start to challenge the regime
more seriously, and eventually lead to the development of a new, more
sustainable regime (Kern 2012).
Strategic niche management
Research on Strategic Niche Management (SNM) focuses on the
niche level, and how to facilitate sustainable innovation journeys based
on promising niche developments for instance, by developing targeted
policy measures (Schot & Geels, 2008; Sengers et al. 2019). In the
literature, it is stressed as important to explore niche developments from
within (Schot & Geels 2008), which means that actors who are ‘outsiders
to the incumbent regime’ are of specific interest for research that aims to
understand nice dynamics (Sengers et al. 2019, p. 155).
The protected space thus becomes a matter of specific attention in
research on SNM. Smith and Raven (2012) have identified shielding,
nurturing, and empowering as three types of processes that are key to
the protection of niche experimentation. Shielding is related to how the
type of selection processes that are often critical in an innovation process
can be held off. Nurturing is related to explicit support for innovation
initiatives, for instance through adding extra resources, assisting
learning, or by the development of shared, positive expectations and
networking. Empowering is how niche innovators gain support to be
competitive in relation to incumbent regimes. According to Smith and
Raven (2012, p 1026), this refers to ‘either niche-innovations becoming
competitive within unchanged selection environments or to niche-
influenced changes in regime selection environments in ways favour­
able to the niche-innovation.’
Niche experimentation is also conditioned by prevailing norms,
habits, and power relations (Smith and Raven 2012). With reference to
Mouffe (1996), Smith and Raven (2012) stress that niche-protection is
essentially related to power and political issues, and identify narratives
and discourses as additional key dimensions of niche protection.
In this study, MLP is applied as a heuristic framework that provides
an idea of the role of niche developments in sustainability transitions.
We see bicycle logistics as an emerging niche, aiming to challenge the
established regime of conventional car- and lorry-based urban freight
delivery. This regime is already under pressure due to sharper targets for
climate mitigation, air quality, safety etc in urban environments. How­
ever, it remains to be seen whether this landscape pressure will lead to a
regime shift. We will explore the conditions for such a transformation by
applying the SNM approach. SNM supports us in exploring the
K. Isaksson and J. Alm
possibility for niche-innovation ‘from within’, with a specific focus on
the type of protective mechanisms introduced above.
Method and empirical material
When designing this study, we kept in mind that researchers within
transition science have stressed the importance of paying attention to
aspects of institutional embeddedness and how transition processes
evolve within specific territorial spaces (Coenen et al., 2012; c.f. Geels
2012). Urban freight is an example where this becomes clear: even
though the challenges regarding urban freight transport are general,
many dimensions are local, such as the structure and size of the mu­
nicipality, the quality of the road infrastructure, local political condi­
tions, local traffic policies, urban planning agendas etc. Thus, conditions
for niche-development will differ from municipality to municipality.
Therefore, to better understand the prerequisites for initiating bicycle
logistics in urban environments and be a part of a transition of the urban
freight regime, we wanted to study bicycle logistics in several urban
areas. Still, however, we wanted to keep some contextual aspects the
same. We decided to carry out our research within the same national
context while selecting several different urban environments for our
empirical work.
The Swedish context
We carried out the empirical research in Swedish municipalities,
which are lower-level local government entities. They are responsible
for a large proportion of local services, including schools, water and
sewage, and physical planning. Thus, we consider this as a beneficial
national context for urban freight logistics in several respects. Firstly,
the Swedish government has the ambition to become the world’s first
fossil-free welfare state (Ministry of Trade and Industry, 2018), and in
2017 the Swedish parliament agreed upon a climate policy framework
which sets out that Sweden shall have no net emissions of GHG by 2045.
As part of achieving this objective, the Swedish government presented a
freight transport strategy in 2018. Within this strategy, it is considered
that freight deliveries by bicycle could be relevant, especially in urban
areas where bicycle logistics may be the most appropriate mode of last-
mile transport. It is also emphasised that sustainable freight transports
are an important part of a sustainable municipality and thereby also of
significance for achieving transport policy objectives (Ministry of Trade
and Industry, 2018).
Secondly, the revenue of e-commerce in Sweden has quadrupled in
ten years, and this trend looks set to continue. With increasing urbani­
sation in Sweden, this has resulted in a higher demand for urban freight
deliveries which still to a great degree are operated by motorised vehi­
cles (Trafikanalys, 2019). Thirdly, we note that Swedish municipalities
have decided on climate policy objectives that are in many cases much
more ambitious than both national and international aims. There is also
an overarching aim from many Swedish municipalities to increase the
bicycle’s share of transportation, increase cyclists’ status in planning
practices, and that bicycles will account for half of all trips shorter than
five kilometres (Hållbar stad, 2016). Many Swedish municipalities have
a fairly well-developed bicycle infrastructure for conventional bicycles
within densely built areas. Therefore, there is a breeding ground for a
favourable context to implementing bicycle logistics services. Together,
the three aspects serve as an interesting backdrop for our intention to
deepen the insights on policy and planning prerequisites that affect how
bicycle logistics services can be initiated and established in urban
environments.
Exploring bicycle logistics in four Swedish municipalities
Bicycle logistics is present today in several Swedish municipalities. In
our work, we interviewed representatives for bicycle logistic companies
in Malmö, Gothenburg, Stockholm, and Umeå, which means that we
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Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives 13 (2022) 100556
included municipalities of differing size and density (see Table 1 below).
All four municipalities have a well-developed bicycle infrastructure for
conventional bikes. There are also policies and plans in place aimed at
further improving the conditions for biking in these municipalities in the
coming years. An exploration of these for cities will add insight into the
conditions for niche development in different geographical contexts and
provide insights regarding similarities and differences among the
included cities at the regime level.
Two different companies
We have focused our research on two of the most renowned Swedish
bicycle logistic companies within these four municipalities: MoveByBike
(MBB) and Pling Transport (Pling). This means that we are building our
work on insights and experiences from two different companies who
have been considered pioneers in the Swedish context of bicycle logis­
tics. MBB was founded in Malmö 2012 and has today operations in
several Swedish municipalities while Pling, also founded 2012, operates
in Gothenburg. Both companies thus have a rich experience of initiating
and developing the concept of bicycle logistics in the local context.
Worth to note, however, is that the two companies have taken two
quite different paths in the way in which they fund and organise their
enterprises: MBB started as a small family business but for the last few
years is partially funded by venture capital. Pling is organised as a staff-
owned economic cooperative. In 2019, MBB had an average of 80 em­
ployees and a turnover of almost SEK 22 million. Pling has 12 members
in its not-for-profit economic cooperative and a 2019 turnover of SEK
2,3 million.
Qualitative interviews
Empirically, we have applied a qualitative research approach and
conducted 8 semi-structured interviews with 9 persons (see Table 2).
The interviews followed a semi-structured interview guide (Flick, 2006),
where we included both theory-driven questions inspired by the MLP
and SNM frameworks and open questions. In addition to the four in­
terviews with representatives from the bicycle logistic companies, we
carried out five interviews with civil servants responsible for urban lo­
gistics and/or sustainable transport at the municipal level in the mu­
nicipalities mentioned above. Regarding spatial issues, municipalities
are important actors due to their planning monopoly, the possibility of
introducing or removing local traffic regulations (car-free zones, time
slots), and designing procurements for freight.
The interviews in Malmö and Stockholm were all carried out as face-
to-face-meetings at the interviewee’s workplaces. The rest were carried
out over the phone or as digital meetings, due to the long distance (in the
case of Umeå) and, eventually, the Covid-19 outbreak (in the case of
Gothenburg). The interviews lasted between 30 and 75 min, and all
interviews were transcribed in full-length. As the semi-structured in­
terviews were built upon both theory-driven and open questions, they
yielded rich material. To structure, analyse, and interpret the material,
we made a thematic reading of the transcriptions in which we cat­
egorised the answers and reasonings and sorted the material based on
the theoretical framework and the research questions. We also looked
for connections between the interviews and explored differences and
similarities between the entrepreneurs and the representatives of the
cities where the bicycle logistics companies operate.
Table 1
Included municipalities.
Case Inhabitants Area Population density
Stockholm 974,073 214,92 km2 5209,66 km2
Gothenburg 579,281 1025,32 km2 1296,60 km2
Malmö 344,166 334,45 km2 2204,69 km2
Umeå 128,901 5277,25 km2 55,56 km2
K. Isaksson and J. Alm
Table 2
List of interviews.
Case Person Referred to as
Gothenburg One of the founders of Pling transport Pling
Urban planner working with urban freight at Gothenburg urban
the municipality of Gothenburg planner
Malmö Founder of MBB Malmö MBB M
Planner focusing on environment and urban Malmö urban
freight planner
Stockholm Founder of MBB Umeå MBB S
Planner focusing on urban freight Stockholm urban
planner
Umeå Founder of MBB Umeå MBB U
Planner focusing on urban freight Umeå urban
planner 1
Planner focusing on urban freight Umeå urban
planner 2
Results and analysis
Initiating and establishing bicycle logistics
A key part of our research has been to explore the initiation and
establishment of bicycle logistics in the Swedish context. This is a story
of protected niche-development based on the niche entrepreneurs’ ini­
tiatives and influenced by economic and financial conditions and the co-
evolution of bicycle design and user practices.
Shaping radical concepts for bicycle logistics
Early concepts for bicycle logistics started to take shape in the
Swedish context around 2012. However, the starting point of MBB and
Pling were different: Pling had a clear vision to contribute to the
development of bicycle logistics, but their initial focus was to develop
specially designed bikes for freight delivery (Velove bikes). However,
they also needed to prove that the concept worked in practice, and this
was a main reason they started up their freight delivery service (Pling).
In turn, the founder of MBB in Malmö explains that he and his son
started their business focusing on providing a service for helping people
to move with the aid of a bicycle cart and started their business on a
small-scale basis. The initiator said it took them only a short time to
understand that the main potential of their new business probably was
not moving furniture, but goods (MBB M). Another concept was being
developed in Stockholm, where bicycle logistics was initially included as
one of several activities of a company that otherwise dealt with eco-
design and water charter (MBB S).
The bicycle logistics entrepreneurs have partly different experiences
of moving from the first concept to a more established business enter­
prise. The need to achieve a stable financial situation is something that
they all come back to as challenging. In Malmö, the development went
fast when the company (in 2013) got their first large customer which
was a free sheet (Metro) and had to scale up the business quickly. Several
individuals who had worked for the company on a hobby basis chose
bicycle logistics as their full-time occupation. They acquired several
bicycles and a large facility. When the Metro job ended after about 1.5
years, they had a difficult economic period. They were close to bank­
ruptcy until they achieved new stability, thanks to external funding.
In the other cities, the establishment process happened more grad­
ually. The founder of MBB in Stockholm refers to a relatively long
starting period with mixed assignments of various sizes until they got
their first large and long-term customer. The interviewee from Pling
emphasises that for many years their business has been on a very modest
scale and that all employees have had second jobs to make a living. One
important step in their establishment process occurred when they won a
framework contract with Gothenburg University in 2015. Another
important step for them came when they started to collaborate with the
Internet-based second hand and vintage store Sellpy in 2018. In Umeå,
the bicycle logistics entrepreneur from MBB says that it is still
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Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives 13 (2022) 100556
challenging to get the business going. He finds it difficult to get regular
volume orders and new customers and states that this will probably
remain difficult as long as it is advantageous for the car- and lorry-based
distributing companies to get around in the city (MBB U).
Nurturing protected spaces
Strategies for financing and business structures have been essential
features of shielding and nurturing the niche developments where the
companies have chosen slightly different strategies. MBB in Malmö has
raised capital, initially from friends and family and later on from
external investors to be able to secure and develop their services. At the
same time, Pling chose to become a jointly owned enterprise, its 12
members running their business as a non-profit economic cooperative.
In hindsight, these different strategies seem to have had a large impact
on the companies and the concepts. The representative from Pling return
several times to the challenges connected to the lack of a stable income
and more long-term contracts for their business. At the same time, he
stresses the value of being independent of venture capital—which means
that he and his colleagues are free to make their own priorities and
strategic decisions. MBB’s choice has meant larger economic resources
and possibilities to expand the business, but at the same time they have
had to adjust to the terms set up from their owners. Recently, there has
been indications that this might have influenced the working environ­
ment at MBB negatively. However, this has been evident only after our
study was completed and could therefore not be explored in this
analysis.
The entrepreneurs also state that funding and other forms of support
from public organisations have been important for their development
processes from the early concepts to an established enterprise. The
publicly owned venture capital organisation Almi has supported Pling in
Gothenburg and MBB Umeå with loans and advice. The informant from
Pling mentions that they have received project grants from government
bodies such as Vinnova and the Swedish Energy Agency, and grants from
the region. In this way, the public sector has played a significant role in
shielding and nurturing the ‘protected space’.
User practices and bicycle developments
According to the literature, niches are spaces where technology, user
practices, and regulatory structures co-evolve (see, e.g., Sengers et al.,
2019). Accordingly, a critical aspect of the establishment of bicycle lo­
gistics services is related to the bicycles, their specific design, and
developments.
In the interview with the founder of MBB, he explained that there
was not a good supply of bicycles fit for the purpose during the early
years of operation. Purchasing, using, improving, and further devel­
oping vehicles has proven to be an important part of their business. In
the early years, MBB used bicycles designed for purposes other than
goods delivery and adapted them to meet their needs. This meant that
the adapted bicycles were insufficiently durable. Later, they ordered a
bicycle cart from the US, and eventually, they started a separate business
to develop and manufacture suitable bicycles for goods delivery. The
manufacturing takes place in another company called Starke, whose
bikes are sold both to MBB and other organisations.
In Gothenburg, the story is similar; Pling has developed close links to
Velove bikes. Initially, Pling had access only to ordinary two-wheeled
bicycles with trailers for transporting freight. Eventually, however,
their close contact with Velove, a company that develops freight bi­
cycles, has given them access to new, specially designed bicycles for
urban freight delivery (Pling).
It is worth noting that the people who develop bikes for Velove and
Starke have an own experience from delivering goods by bike. Thus, the
development of the bicycles is based on first-hand experience of the
practice of urban freight delivery. The close collaboration between
vehicle development and delivery services has, in practice, worked like a
test bed for the actors to learn more about urban freight delivery in a
broader sense.
K. Isaksson and J. Alm
Ideas and expectations regarding bicycle logistics
Within the ST literature, there are recurring statements regarding the
importance of joint visions and goals, which are assumed to help actors
coordinate their actions, and to further niche experiments (Kemp et al.,
2007). According to the theory on SNM, an important part of this is also
the development of shared, positive expectations and networking (Smith
and Raven, 2012).
The entrepreneurs’ views
In general, the development of the type of bicycle logistics services
that we have explored in this study has its roots in visions of sustainable
cities and sustainable transport systems, with reduced climate-impact
and reduced negative impact on the local environment. The entrepre­
neurs in all four cities stress these types of issues when asked about their
main motivation for starting their business. The entrepreneur in Umeå
emphasises specifically that bicycle logistics has a minimal climate
impact, and states that ‘a municipality should not call itself sustainable if
there is no bicycle logistics’ (MBB U). Similarly, the entrepreneur in
Gothenburg stresses that their concept primarily makes a difference for
climate mitigation from the freight sector and notes:
There will be much lower emissions [from] transporting goods by
bicycle. […]. In Sweden, we have a good energy mix in our elec­
tricity production, which means that the [negative environmental]
impact is very low (Pling).
The ambitions regarding climate mitigation are combined with in­
terest for other sustainability issues, such as noise, air pollution, and a
specific interest in the concept of a circular economy. Over the years, the
entrepreneurs have learned that their concept of urban freight has other
benefits, too. They all come back to the value of reducing the number of
cars and lorries in the dense urban environments and state that bicycle
logistics have positive effects on traffic safety and the liveability of cities.
As an example, the entrepreneur in Malmö shares his experience of
delivering goods in the municipality:
When we are out driving, we have a good contact with the sur­
roundings. […] We are quite harmless to the old lady with the
dachshund and the children on the way to school and so on when we
go around. (MBB M)
The entrepreneurs, especially those in the three larger municipal­
ities, claim that bicycle logistics will contribute to more robust and
efficient urban freight systems than truck deliveries. They explain that it
is in most cases easy to find alternative routes if there is a traffic jam and
point out the benefits of using both the main road network as well as
smaller streets and bicycle paths. Along this line, the entrepreneur in
Stockholm recalls a situation when there was a massive snowstorm.
Despite the difficult weather conditions, they performed almost like a
normal day, while conventional trucks had large problems delivering
(MBB S). The entrepreneur in Malmö refers to a meeting he had with a
potential new customer from a large industrial company. At the meeting,
the potential customer asked if the bicycle entrepreneur knew why they
had chosen to contact MBB. His first guess was that they wanted to find
an environment-friendly alternative for goods delivery to suit their
brand. But the company representative said the main reason was related
to efficiency:
We have been looking at you for a while’, he said, ‘and we see that
you are more efficient, we see that you deliver even if there is a
snowstorm and slippery streets […]. You always roll. We need that.
(MBB M)
The experiences vary somewhat between the cities. According to the
entrepreneur in Umeå, they have a hard time competing with truck
transports. It is easy to get around by car and truck in Umeå since they
don’t experience the type of congestion that may contribute to the
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Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives 13 (2022) 100556
attractiveness of bicycle logistics in larger cities:
It is still too easy to drive [a truck] all the way. Parking is too easy
and too cheap really, even though there are restrictions. (MBB U)
Planners’ perspectives
The interviewees from local municipalities share positive ideas and
expectations regarding bicycle logistics. One of them, who had previ­
ously worked with freight issues in Malmö points to the freight transport
strategy that was developed in 2014, in which bicycle logistics was
pointed out as a potentially important part of the municipality’s freight
transport system, and as a mode of goods distribution that they would
like to develop further (Municipality of Malmö 2014). However, it was
not that straightforward to integrate these formulations in the text:
I remember the first meeting or the second meeting when I suggested
that we should include it, and it was a bit like…’well that won’t be
possible, this is about goods delivery’. I had to explain and argue and
show [how it could work]. (Malmö urban planner)
The interviewee from the municipality of Stockholm also expressed a
positive attitude and optimistic expectations regarding bicycle logistics,
which according to her has a clear potential to contribute to a more
sustainable urban freight system. She explains that the municipality has
seen an increase in light trucks during the last few years, and that bicycle
logistics services are advantageous in relation to the municipality’s
ambitions to reduce congestion and ensure accessibility on the road
network. Also, she emphasises several sustainability benefits with bi­
cycle logistics:
You don’t need fuel. It is an electric battery for bicycles. It probably
has its pros and cons, but I would also like to highlight the noise
issue. […] And for schools, it is a matter of security—if we can get
deliveries by bike, which gives [the driver] a much better visibility
when driving, compared to a truck. So, it is perceived as safer.
(Stockholm urban planner)
Planners interviewed in Gothenburg and Umeå expressed similar
ideas. For example, they emphasised that bicycle logistics can reduce
congestion and contribute to safe and sustainable urban development,
and that it is a very interesting concept for last-mile deliveries. The
planners in Umeå emphasised several advantages, for instance that it is
quiet and smooth, it does not take up much space, and delivers right to
the door. Also, there is great potential to improve well-being, safety, and
air quality—alongside issues related to the qualities of the urban envi­
ronment in general (Umeå urban planners 1 and 2).
The regional planners share these views. According to the regional
planner in Region Västra Götaland, one advantage for the municipalities
is less congestion. This interviewee also stressed that initiatives that may
reduce the need for large-scale infrastructure development are always
interesting. The regional planner in Stockholm said that the politicians
have a positive attitude towards bicycles, including bicycle logistics, and
see it as a good solution - maybe the most suitable mode of transport for
last-mile deliveries in urban areas in the future.
Obstacles and opportunities for upscaling
The process through which niche experiments can come to influence
regimes is called ‘upscaling’ (Jolly et al., 2012), which is closely related
to ‘empowering’ (Smith and Raven, 2012). As stated in the theory sec­
tion, niche innovations can be empowered either by initiatives that make
them more competitive within an unchanged regime environment or by
making niche-influenced changes to the regime environment in ways
that are beneficial for the niche in question (Smith & Raven, 2012).
Ambitious policy goals and pilot projects but few sharp priorities
As stated in the section on ideas and expectations, the planners and
K. Isaksson and J. Alm
strategists from the four municipalities and the two regions expressed
positive attitudes regarding bicycle logistics. Moreover, all municipal­
ities have adopted strategic policy documents that pave the ground for
bicycle logistics. These policy documents point at further pilot initiatives
and projects to learn more about the potential of the concept. At the
same time however, sharp priorities and regulation to promote sus­
tainable freight remain issues to be solved in the future. So-called ‘low
emission zones’, which all four municipalities have implemented, is one
example. At the time of this study, these zones targeted heavy vehicles
but only the oldest, heaviest, and dirtiest types of trucks and buses while
allowing other types of heavy vehicles such as smaller vans and other
conventional vehicles that run on fossil fuels.
Altogether, we note a sense of openness and curiosity among the
municipal planners to try new concepts and support new, more sus­
tainable freight transport services. The interviewee from the munici­
pality of Stockholm stressed the need for public actors to collaborate
more across the various administrative levels and share experiences with
other municipalities, property owners, and others to extend their in­
fluence. However, they also express a sense of having a very limited role
in making a difference. Municipalities do not have the mandate to
develop strict regulations, and since they do not carry out extensive
freight transport themselves, they feel that they can act only in an in­
direct way to support the concept. However, they seem very optimistic
about pilot-initiatives and other test- and demonstration projects, which
they think of as important arenas for learning about new, and more
sustainable ways to manage urban freight. Sometimes, however, public
initiatives have led to problems. Initiatives for coordinated urban freight
deliveries, so-called grouping, constituted one very common example in
Swedish urban transport planning over the last five to 10 years. The
entrepreneur in Malmö recalled a municipality-led initiative a couple of
years ago in which the groupage sites ended up so distant from the urban
centre that it was not possible for them to be involved.
A specific type of initiative that was mentioned in several interviews
is related to the establishment of ‘hubs’ where long-distance freight is
dropped off for bicycle logistics to take it the last mile of the delivery
chain. The Gothenburg municipal planner refers to ongoing work
focused on ‘smart deliveries’, which is their concept (as a municipality)
for sustainable logistics chains. One measure to promote sustainable
logistics is the regulation of motorised traffic. So far, the municipality
has tried this when it comes to lorries, which are prohibited from
entering specific parts of the city centre during certain time intervals. As
a result, the number of light trucks has doubled, and with additional
regulation, the municipality aims to address the problem. One hope for
the expanded regulation is that retailers will explore new delivery op­
tions such as bicycles or other light electric vehicles.
Even though the interviews with bicycle freight entrepreneurs and
public planners give many examples of interesting initiatives, they also
express some disappointment over remaining conventional norms and
perspectives, and the slow pace of substantially transforming the urban
freight system. One of the interviewed planners said that municipal
planning still leans too much on old systems with a focus on lorries and
vans. He believes that many go-ahead entrepreneurs are out there with
many ideas and solutions, but they do not get enough support from the
municipality:
Why do we not support them? These are the initiatives we must
support; we should not support those who are lobbying to ‘no, but we
cannot raise the tax on diesel, because then it will be expensive to
drive a truck’. We shouldn’t drive trucks! We already agreed on this
when we accepted the UN’s sustainability goals. (Malmö urban
planner)
He expresses frustration that the same types of solutions have been
discussed for years without much happening, in his view. He thinks that
municipalities and other public actors should support and test new ideas
more bravely and drive a sharper policy agenda.
6
Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives 13 (2022) 100556
Infrastructure and traffic planning
Two of the main obstacles that the entrepreneurs cite are related to
infrastructure and traffic planning. As stated in the method section, all
four municipalities included in this study have a well-developed bicycle
infrastructure for conventional bikes, but the entrepreneurs sees a need
for improvement. The Stockholm bicycle entrepreneur stresses the need
for bicycle lanes that are broad enough to accommodate both regular
bikes and cargo bikes and allow bicycles to meet and pass each other
safely. Since many cycle paths are today shared with pedestrians, there
is often too little space for the types of bikes used by the bicycle hauliers’
wide vehicles. There is also a need for loading docks that suit not only
trucks but also bikes.
Another issue concerns traffic planning, where the interviewees
report shortcomings regarding how bicycle traffic is prioritised and
redirected (or not redirected) during roadwork and other construction
projects in the urban areas. The Gothenburg entrepreneur reported that
in many cases their driving is made more difficult in connection with
roadwork. This involved uncertainty about which routes would work
and, in some cases, suggested alternative routes that often meant long
detours.
Procurement processes
Public procurement of transport and distribution services is
mentioned both as a barrier and an opportunity for bicycle logistics
services. According to the interviewees, procurement documents are, in
many cases, still adapted for cars and trucks, which can lead to bicycle
logistics companies not always being able to respond to tender requests,
as they do not meet specific technical requirements. The interviewees
from MBB mention an example from Stockholm from a couple of years
back. The tender that the municipality had prepared specified various
technical requirements about equipment on trucks, which meant that
bicycle hauliers could not respond. However, it turned out that the
municipality had difficulty attracting bids and had to start the process
again. When doing so, the MBB entrepreneurs advised the municipality
to adjust the tender and write clearly that the technical requirements did
not apply to bicycles. Then, MBB could submit a bid.
Once procurement documents are rewritten to include bicycle
hauliers and those entrepreneurs submit tenders, it has become clear
that bicycle logistics companies can be quite successful in competition
with others. The representative from MBB in Stockholm talks about his
experiences of submitting tenders and believes that it is generally
favourable for them if municipalities set high environmental re­
quirements in their tender requests. Delimiting areas for procurement
can also be beneficial. Pling tells of similar experiences. Sometimes they
have also entered partnerships with other players with vehicles able to
transport larger goods, to be able to compete for new contracts.
Attempts to influence norms and perspectives in planning organisations
The experience from the procurement processes illustrates that
empowerment is, in this case, not only about strengthening the niche
innovation per se, but also to make changes of the regime-environment
in ways that are beneficial for the niche. This is advanced in the in­
terviews with urban planners, who stress the overall need to build and
develop knowledge and awareness of urban freight and bicycle logistics
within the city administration, and to use this knowledge as an input to
the formulation of clear and long-lasting strategic approaches and pri­
orities in, for instance, urban and traffic planning.
From the interviews, it becomes clear that substantial parts of the
municipality’s work on freight and logistics take place in close dialogue
with the actors from the freight industry. In Stockholm, the freight
strategist mentioned occasions when they had invited representatives
from freight companies, for instance, MBB, to present at internal meet­
ings. In Gothenburg, there is a ‘freight network’ consisting of politicians,
officials, and representatives from the industry, including bicycle lo­
gistics. There are annually four network meetings. Their purpose is to
talk to relevant actors, answer questions that may arise, and explain
K. Isaksson and J. Alm
measures and inform about various infrastructure projects that may
affect the industry. Among other things, issues such as one-way and
cycle paths have emerged at these meetings, and these are issues that the
representative passes on to the infrastructure planning department. The
interviewee from Gothenburg’s municipality emphasises that the busi­
ness community has an important function in the decision-making
process. In general, she says, the municipality is working for smart
and sustainable freight transport, but is also very concerned that it must
not lead to difficulties for the business that exists today. The munici­
pality can be accused of deciding things that do not benefit retailers or
end customers (Gothenburg urban planner).
To change things and come further in the work for sustainable urban
freight, the interviewee in Gothenburg emphasises the need to have
someone in the municipal administration who, based on a clear political
mandate, can pursue issues related to sustainable freight, including bi­
cycle logistics. According to her, there are many possible and relevant
ways forward to improve the work within the municipal administration.
For instance, more work could be done to connect issues of bicycle
infrastructure with issues of bicycle logistics. There is also a potential to
link urban freight issues, including bicycle logistics, much more clearly
to the strategic plans for sustainable urban and regional development
(for instance the municipal comprehensive plan and the regional
development plan). However, at the moment the responsibility for all
these issues (bicycle, mobility, and freight) are divided among different
units in the organisation, which makes transformative work fragmented
and difficult to implement.
Concluding discussion
Altogether, this study has given insights into a variety of challenges
that bicycle logistics entrepreneurs meet in their efforts to initiate and
establish their concepts for urban freight delivery, but points also to
some possibilities and key issues for the further development of these
types of concepts. Based upon our work, we conclude that dimensions of
‘shielding’ (i.e. protecting innovations from mainstream selection pres­
sures) and ‘nurturing’ (i.e. supporting an innovation), have been
important in the developments of the concept so far. The entrepreneurs
have at specific stages of their development process benefitted from
national and regional support activities, as well as specific municipal
initiatives such as the establishment of urban logistics hubs. Procure­
ment processes in several of the municipalities have also had an
empowering function, that is, in the cases where it has been made
possible for bicycle logistics companies to participate and compete side
by side with other freight delivery companies.
Empowerment is not only about strengthening the concept and
providing better opportunities to compete on the market (c.f. Smith &
Raven 2012) but also about identifying and removing disadvantages and
obstacles from the established spatial and/or institutional context. Such
disadvantages currently include procurement processes that sometimes
disqualify bicycle logistics companies from submitting a tender, or too
poor supply and/or too low quality of bicycle infrastructure. As stated
previously, all four case cities have a base of bicycle facilities that have
been of esssential importance for the establishment and development of
bicycle logistics. However, it has also become clear that a bicycle
infrastructure that works well for conventional cycling is not enough,
and that further development of the bicycle network (broader lanes,
good maintenance, improved spaces for parking etc) is critical from an
empowerment perspective. Other examples include the ways in which
traffic is redirected during road constructions, the design of loading
docks and property entrances etc. A related aspect is traffic planning,
and the need for a clearer priority to be given to the accessibility and
convenience of bicycle traffic in general, in relation to cars and lorries.
From our work, we note that ambitious goals relating to air quality, road
safety and livable cities can also serve as empowering factors for the
development and further establishment of bicycle logistics. The entre­
preneurs refer to the implementation of environmental zones in cities,
7
Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives 13 (2022) 100556
and clear and ambitious targets for reduced climate emissions in pro­
curement documents, as beneficial for their business.
In addition to these findings, our study provides an illustration of
what Smith and Raven (2012) have pointed at when it comes to the
importance of narratives and discourses for niche developments. The
interviewed entrepreneurs discuss the value of more broadly rooted
understandings of what bicycle logistics can actually perform, and what
a more bicycle-based urban transport system can contribute to urban
living environments in a wider sense. From this perspective, also limited
initiatives such as coordination initiatives to establish logistics hubs,
small testbed initiatives etc can have an important role, if they can
contribute to making the concept more well known to a broader audi­
ence (that is, beyond actors in the freight industry). The stated interest in
bicycle logistics from large logistics companies can also be an opportu­
nity, as it can help to make the concept more visible.
Our study has also led to insights into how entrepreneurs and plan­
ners share a similar view regarding the potential of bicycle logistics to
contribute to more sustainable, safe and liveable urban environments
and efficient freight logistics. But we note that this is primarily expressed
by ‘insiders’, i.e., persons who already work with issues related to sus­
tainable freight and mobility, and who have an interest and commitment
to the concept. From our interviews we have learned that there are other
actors, for instance public planning actors and/or potential customers,
who seem more hesitant or lack knowledge about the concept. Freight
transport is in many cases still understood as something that is ’nor­
mally’ carried out by vans and trucks, while the bicycle is understood to
be a minor complement, even though many studies and real-life expe­
rience show a large potential. This is reinforced by a lack of developed
political strategies and decisions regarding how bicycle logistics is
intended to contribute to long-term sustainable mobility and accessi­
bility in cities. When municipalities engage in development work
regarding bicycle logistics, for example linked to local freight hubs etc,
these still often consist of small pilot projects. Such activities are
sometimes referred to as indications of an ongoing transformative work
but in practice it often remains unclear how the lessons and insights
from such pilots are intended to be taken further, upscaled and inte­
grated in the more long-term strategic work for sustainable urban
freight. Given the obstacles and inertia in terms of existing transport
infrastructure, combined with prevailing norms and perspectives within
key organisations, and vested interests from a conventional freight in­
dustry, there is a need for more clear and conscious political strategies –
that also needs to be turned into more operative policies and plans – if
the potential of bicycle logistics to support a more sustainable urban
transport system shall be realised.
A key question that has guided the analysis was what it would take
for the emerging niche of bicycle logistics services to begin to transform
the existing urban freight regime. Altogether, this study clarifies the
need for further empowerment measures. One important measure is to
further develop the standard of bicycle infrastructure and other facilities
(i.e. beyond a basic standard for "conventional" bikes). Another measure
is to develop the routines of traffic planning and management. In
practice this is also closely linked to – and partly dependent on – the
norms, attitudes and knowledge among policy makers, planners and
potential customers about bicycle logistics and its potential. The
example referred to above, with the customer who preferred to use bi­
cycle logistics because it is robust and reliable ("you always roll") is an
example of an insight that is currently not as broadly known as it could
be. Thus, there is a need for further spread of knowledge and informa­
tion about the concept to key actors within transport and land use policy
and planning. As illustrated by the experiences from the four cities,
specific contextual conditions such as local political factors and mobility
culture are likely to affect the development of the concept. An increased
awareness of these aspects can, as we see it, be an important part of a
conscious development process where cities could work more actively to
explore how bicycle logistics can contribute to several sustainability
goals at the local level, for instance safe and just neighbourhoods,
K. Isaksson and J. Alm
improved air quality, and reduced noise pollution. However, given the
strength of the existing freight regime, vested interests etc, it will not be
enough to just link bicycle logistics ‘loosely’ to plans and strategies for
sustainable urban development. A regime shift will require more active
measures to challenge the existing unsustainable freight transport
regime. There will probably be a need for a combination of restrictive
policy measures against conventional fossil-fuelled heavy traffic while
investing in supportive measures regarding bicycle infrastructure,
loading docks, etc. This, in turn, requires politicians with a capability
and willingness to address the political tensions that often characterise
initiatives for sustainable urban transport.
Finally, we note that there is one issue that deserves more attention
in further research and development of bicycle logistics, namely the
working environment for employees. This issue has not been specifically
investigated in this study but has become increasingly central in the
broader discussion about the potential of bicycle logistics, during the
course of our work. The question is closely related to the business
models for different concepts. We see this as an important issue for
further research and a topic that is relevant to explore as part of the
discussion on strategic niche management and the dynamics between
entrepreneurs, citizens and public actors.
Declaration of Competing Interest
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial
interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence
the work reported in this paper.
Acknowledgments
This study has been carried out within the research project ‘The role
of urban experiments in triggering climate transitions (EXPECT)’ funded
by the Swedish Research Council for Environment, Agricultural Sciences
and Spatial Planning (Formas), Grant number 2015-3806-30305-19.
The authors want to give credit to Jessica Berg at VTI, who contrib­
uted with parts of the data collection and discussion of early results. A
special thanks to Till Koglin at Lund university and K2, who commented
on a draft version of this paper, and to Sofie Storbjörk and Mattias
Hjerpe at Linköping university for helpful feedback along the way. We
also want to thank the interviewees for generously contributing with
their time and experiences.
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