Logistics sprawl and environmental justice: unpacking racial disparities in urban freight

Populations of color (POC) are disproportionately exposed to delivery-related traffic despite ordering fewer packages than White populations. This study uses structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine which urban form and socio-economic factors contribute to these racial disparities in 39 U.S. metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs). Of particular interest is “logistics sprawl,” which has lengthened distances between freight supply and demand. Prior research links sprawling urban form to the uneven distribution of externalities, social deprivation, and accessibility. This connection remains underexplored in urban freight research. Findings reveal segregation, social capital, and supply centrality mediate and condition the equity benefits of more logistically compact urban form, or “proximity logistics.” Though promising, urban freight management strategies alone cannot address environmental inequities without confronting the underlying socio-economic and political structures that reproduce them.