Online shopping is skyrocketing. So what are cities going to do about it?
The rising numbers of deliveries are adding to concerns about traffic and pollution in rapidly growing cities around the world. In Europe and Asia, cities have barred deliveries during certain hours, built warehouses to centralise distribution and provided millions in funding to encourage firms to switch to quieter, greener equipment. In the U.S., discussions about how to handle the glut of online shipments were somewhat slower to start, but they're happening now.
In response to the increasing congestion, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a test ban on deliveries during commuter hours on some of the city's most crowded streets. Cities in Europe have taken other kinds of steps. Paris, for example, has sponsored logistics hubs, while one of London's bus operators is looking at the possibility of using buses for parcel delivery.
A major factor shaping the efforts is new technology. Analysts expect that soon, companies will deploy robots for indoor deliveries, harness drones for remote drop-offs and enlist fleets of quiet, electric-powered driverless cars to make deliveries at night.
There are many issues for discussion here: the article focuses on increased deliveries due to the rise of online ordering and the attendant traffic problems, but you can also discuss the advantages and disadvantages of online shopping, increasing automation of business processes, crowded cities, pollution, or even city planning.