Incorporating infrastructure and vehicle technology requirements, changes in demand, and Decarbonization policies’ considerations into freight planning

This report develops an equitable and sustainable freight-oriented LU methodology to support future planning activities, enabling the integration of freight activity across urban, suburban, and rural areas and facilitating the transition of heavy- and medium-duty vehicles toward zero-emission. The methods include a literature review to identify freight sustainable strategies, policy analysis at different scales, characterization of local context, and demand/supply patterns. The latter examines the spatial distribution and land use characteristics of freight facilities and retail/service sectors in the Sacramento region to inform sustainable and equitable planning strategies. This analysis identifies co-location patterns, accessibility gaps, and sectoral interactions using a multi-dimensional approach integrating spatial clustering, distance analysis, population-employment dynamics, and environmental burdens. Data sources include LODES, ACS, CalEnviroScreen, and OpenStreetMap, alongside geospatial tools in R. The findings suggest the need for targeted interventions to address potential conflicts, service deserts, and environmental justice concerns. The study proposes actionable strategies for planners to support balanced economic development and improve access to essential services.

Methods
The proposed framework comprises four main steps. The first focuses on characterizing the freight context based on local, State, and federal decarbonization plans, equity policies, land use plans, and labor conditions. The second step analyzes urban, suburban, and rural freight distribution patterns based on supply and demand characteristics. The third step analyzes potential freight-efficient LU and transportation initiatives that can be implemented locally (including decarbonization, social, and environmental policies). Finally, step four develops sustainable and equitable freight LU methodology considering impacts on environmental justice, GHG emissions, labor, and social justice. The case study for implementing this methodology is the Sacramento region, California.