JLL has launched a dedicated urban and city logistics team to advise clients on devising solutions amid a shortage of industrial supply in urban areas.
This service will also seek to address issues relating to population and economic growth, environmental concerns and the shift to e-commerce.
Tessa English will lead the team as head of city and urban logistics. She was previously director of industrial and logistics research.
The team will work with JLL’s leasing, supply chain and capital markets teams to deliver a service across the development cycle. It will also team up with JLL’s retail, planning, property asset management, sustainability, research, alternatives and office teams on repurposing and repositioning opportunities.
The news comes after JLL was appointed by grocery delivery start-up Dija to advise on its plans to set up a network of inner-city hubs and urban warehouses across the UK and Europe.
English said: “Covid-19 has accelerated many of the changes already happening in the on-demand world and has shone a light on the chronic lack of industrial supply in city centres.
“This is particularly the case in London where the demand for industrial space is leading to developers exploring intensification within the city.
“Co-location with other uses, multi-storey and multi-level developments are all potential solutions that we expect to see become commonplace in the coming years. Our team is already working with clients to develop these dynamic strategies in London to transform and improve supply chains and last-mile delivery capabilities.
“In addition to this, we have seen new companies emerge in the last year who are taking on-demand delivery to the next level. We are working with some of these companies and helping them think of innovative solutions to find spaces in city centres across the UK.”
Andy Harding, lead director of UK industrial and logistics at JLL, said the initiative “responds directly to the growing pressures we are seeing in our cities with increased populations and an ever-increasing demand for immediate goods and services”.
He added: “The team has visited countries across Asia and Europe to see first-hand some of the development and supply chain solutions that are commonplace in built-up environments.
“This knowledge will undoubtedly help our clients develop strategies that will ensure inner city industrial land use is intensified and optimised to improve supply chains and last mile delivery capabilities.”
To send feedback, e-mail pui-guan.man@egi.co.uk or tweet @PuiGuanM or @estatesgazette
