Urban warehouses as good neighbors: Findings from a New York City case study

The surge in online shopping has contributed in no small part to the return of warehouses in cities. Urban warehouses allow retail and delivery companies to serve consumer populations faster. They are also a necessary condition for the transition to an urban logistics system that is efficient and sustainable. However, integrating urban warehouses into dense, mixed-use urban areas presents considerable challenges, particularly in coexistence with surrounding communities. This study explores how urban warehouses can become good neighbors, through a case study of New York City. The city has a high e-commerce demand and high population density. In addition, zoning regulation and administration in particular have enabled the development of several warehouses in recent years. The study introduces seven types of practices that can promote the proper integration of warehouses in cities. Scaled from the system (i.e., the city) to the site (i.e., the warehouse), best practices include the following: zoning for innovation as well as nuisance monitoring and mitigation, environmental policy for movement and place, supply chain awareness for citizens/consumers, blocks and buffers for neighborhood design, community conversation, sustainable transportation transition for goods as well as people, and context-sensitive building design.