Locational dynamics of logistics facilities: Evidence from Tokyo

• Logistics sprawl has occurred in Tokyo region between 1980 and 2003.
• Average shipping distance increases as facilities move away from the urban center.
• Some suburban facilities are located at near-optimum locations.
• Land use planning and pricing should be explored as options to control sprawl.

This study uses data from a large-scale freight survey conducted in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area to jointly analyze the spatial distribution of logistics facilities and their proximities to the locations of shipment origins and destinations. The aim of the study is to examine in detail the argument that logistics sprawls increase truck trip distances, and thus would incur negative impacts to the society. We found that between 1980 and 2003, logistics facilities in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area have migrated outward, albeit in a much smaller scale than the cases documented in some U.S. and European cities. Our analysis of the shipment data confirms that logistics sprawl increases truck travel. Furthermore, we found that, regardless of their age, logistics facilities tend to increase shipping distances as their distances to the urban center increase, due to the spatial mismatch between the locations of the facilities and the shipment origins and destinations. The findings underscore the importance of comprehensive efforts to coordinate land use, not only for logistics facilities but also other businesses that generate freight movements.