Where goods meet people: a conceptual framework integrating urban freight transport into land use and public space

Journal article, 2026

Urban transport planning has long centred on the movement of people, while transport of goods is more often treated as a secondary concern. This paper develops a conceptual framework that integrates people and goods transport as interconnected systems, linking long-term land use and network decisions with the short-term dynamics through which public space is designed, allocated, and managed. Using the framework as an analytical lens, we review empirical evidence on four urban planning trends: curbside management, the superblock model, the 15-minute city, and logistics zoning. The framework and review reveal recurring blind spots: people-oriented initiatives often understate implications for goods transport, while goods-oriented initiatives tend to overlook wider impacts on people’s mobility and city life. We conclude with a research agenda for embedding urban freight more structurally within transport planning and urban design.