Assessing Policy Priorities for the Integration of Alternative Delivery Points in Urban Last-Mile Logistics = 도시 라스트마일과 대안적 배송 거점의 정책 우선순위에 대한 연구

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

The paper explores how parcel lockers can be governed and prioritized as living logistics infrastructure in Korea's rapidly changing e-commerce landscape. While lockers are widely promoted as a solution to last-mile congestion, labor intensity, and safety concerns, previous research has largely overlooked policy and governance, instead focusing on location models, routing optimization, consumer behavior, and environmental impacts. In contrast, this study views parcel lockers as a hybrid public- private infrastructure shaped by interconnected regulatory, economic, sustainability, and governance initiatives. The study has four goals: to trace the institutional trajectories of parcel locker systems across countries; to identify policy initiatives relevant to locker utilization in Korea; to elicit expert assessments of their relative importance and causal interdependence; and to draw implications for coherent policy portfolios. Methodologically, the study uses a multi-stage mixed-methods design. A structured literature review covering seven areas of parcel-locker research is combined with a comparative case study of international development paths. Nine policy initiatives are defined and refined using a Delphi process with Korean domain experts. Priority weights are then calculated using the Best-Worst Method (BWM), with fuzzy DEMATEL modelling causal relationships and network centrality. Results from BWM and DEMATEL are combined using two integration schemes: additive (average) and multiplicative. The findings indicate that mandatory locker installation in residential and high-density areas, as well as accessibility- and equity-oriented location optimization, are the primary initiatives, with public transportation integration serving as the third pillar of a high- priority cluster. Fuzzy DEMATEL also reveals that subsidies, tax incentives, and safety and operational standards are important causal drivers, while several initiatives function as effect-type elements, absorbing influences from the policy system. The integrated analysis emphasizes the importance of regulation-led, equity-sensitive infrastructure expansion, supported by targeted economic incentives, e-commerce integration, and strong governance arrangements, to improve the sustainability, equity, and resilience of Korea's smart parcel locker ecosystem.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• Chapter 1. Introduction 1
• 1.1. Background and Problem Setting 1
• 1.2. Research Gap 4
• 1.3. Purpose 5
• 1.4. Research Design and Methodological Overview 6
• 1.5. Research Hypothesis 8
• 1.6. Scope 9
• 1.7. Research Structure 10
• Chapter 2. Literature Review 11
• 2.1. Location Selection & Network Design 11
• 2.2. Vehicle Routing & Optimization Models 18
• 2.3. Crowdshipping & Public-Transport-Based Delivery 23
• 2.4. Consumer Behavior, Acceptance & Preferences26
• 2.5. Environmental, Economic & System-Level Impact 32
• 2.6. Dynamic Operations, Scheduling and Strategies 35
• 2.7. User-Facing “Delivery Options” and Channel Choice40
• Chapter 3. Parcel Locker Development 46
• 3.1. Market and Private-Led Development Trajectories 46
• 3.2. State-Anchored and State-Led Infrastructural Trajectories 52
• 3.3. Hybrid, PPP, and Co-Produced Governance Trajectories 60
• 3.4. Derivation of Policy Initiatives 65
• Chapter 4. Research Design and Methods 78
• 4.1. Research Design 78
• 4.2. Delphi Study Design and Expert Panel 80
• 4.3. Best-Worst Method (BWM)87
• 4.4. Fuzzy DEMATEL 90
• 4.5. Integrated Weights 94
• Chapter 5. Results 96
• 5.1. BWM Results: Priority Weights and Ranking96
• 5.2. Fuzzy DEMATEL Results97
• 5.3. Integrated Analysis99
• Chapter 6. Conclusions and Future Research 105
• 6.1. Key Findings 105
• 6.2 Summary of Main Findings 111
• 6.3 Policy Recommendations 112
• 6.4 Contribution 115
• 6.5 Future Research Agenda 116
• 6.6 Limitations 117
• 6.7 Directions for Future Research 118
• References 119
• Appendix 125