Taniguchi et al. (1999, 2001) defined City Logistics as “the process for totally optimising the logistics and transport activities by private companies in urban areas while considering the traffic environment, the traffic congestion and energy consumption within the framework of a market economy.”

(Reference)

Taniguchi, E., R.G. Thompson and T. Yamada (1999). Modelling city logistics. In: City Logistics I (E. Taniguchi and R.G. Thompson, eds.), Institute of Systems Science Research, Kyoto, pp.3-37.

Taniguchi, E., R.G. Thompson, T. Yamada and R. van Duin (2001). City Logistics---Network Modelling and Intelligent Transport Systems, Pergamon.