This has given consumers new choices. But it’s also had negative effects on congestion, air pollution and carbon emissions.

One way to reduce these negative effects would be to use walking and micromobility vehicles – such as cargo bikes or pedivans – for more deliveries.

But to make the move away from vans happen, firms need local delivery hubs near customers.

This report explores what kinds of logistics spaces are needed in inner and Central London and how policymakers can help provide the necessary infrastructure to make deliveries more sustainable.

It concludes that building more logistics hubs in inner and Central London has the potential to reduce noise, carbon emissions and pollution from deliveries by allowing deliveries to be made by walking, bike and pedivan.

Creating logistics hubs is not straightforward, largely because there is so little land available.

But there is scope to include them in major development schemes, and to better protect the ones which already exist.