The INNESTO (INstruments and NEtworks for developing logistics towards Sustainable Territorial Objectives) project elaborated this approach during 30 months of activity (01/01/2002 – 30/06/2004). The project was carried out under the Key Action “Policy Aspects” of the Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development Programme, within the Fifth Framework Programme of the European Union Commission.
The INNESTO research project focused the ongoing dichotomy between the EU orientation towards sustainable regional development and the conventional approach to logistics that dominates the European market. The main objective of the project was the development, validation and application of decision support instruments focused on a new logistics approach geared towards a paradigmatic change reassumed in the following definitions

From		To
Logistics is the ”process of planning, implementing and controlling the efficient, cost-effective flow and storage of raw materials, in-process inventory from point-of-origin to point-of-consumption for the purpose of conforming to customer requirements”.		Sustainable District Logistics (SDL) is the integrated management of materials, energy and information flows in a cohesive territorial system to improve access to goods, services, people and places, while maintaining and renewing the available resources (human-made, human and natural).
Council of Logistics Management (ECMT/OECD, 1997)		SDL Approach

The definition of “Sustainable District Logistics” constituted the vision of the INNESTO project development (with the elaboration of Local Context Analyses, District Logistics Analyses and Local Scenario Workshops) and for future initiatives according to the European Charter of Sustainable District Logistics (approved by the INNESTO Final Conference in June 2004).

The following partners managed the INNESTO project involving local stakeholders.

Country	Partners
Denmark	Roskilde University
Germany	EURES – Institute for regional studies in Europe
Italy	Studio Ricerche Sociali (SRS), Lead Partner
	Province of Arezzo
Spain	Grupo Entorno
The Netherlands	NEA Transport Research and Training

Approach
The SDL approach is presented in the following e-book and e-papers.

Sustainable District Logistics: a Theoretical framework for understanding a new paradigm
Short paper on Sustainable District Logistics: understanding a new paradigm
Documento riassuntivo su La Logistica di Distretto Sostenibile: una nuova impostazione
Life Cycle Analysis and the logistics issues. A contribution to District Logistics Analysis

Methods
The SDL methods are presented in the following e-book and e-paper.

Sustainable District Logistics: an Operational framework for implementing a new paradigm
Stakeholders Involvement in the Sustainable District Logistics approach

The SLD methods concern:

• Stakeholder Analysis (to involve local actors in a SDL project)
• Local Context Analysis (to identify hypotheses of innovative actions aimed at re-orienting logistics and spatial planning processes)
• District Logistics Analysis (to integrate the hypotheses of innovative actions emerged from the Local Context Analysis in those formulated though the examination of logistics flows and business performances)
• Local Scenario Workshop (to determine locally shared visions and paths on the future development of sustainable district logistics, for example in a 15-year perspective, revising and reinforcing the main hypotheses of innovative options developed in the Local Context Analysis and District Logistics Analysis)

Tools

Local Context Analysis:
Transport system Analysis

District Logistics Analysis:
Casentino (Arezzo) questionnaire
Casentino (Arezzo) questionario
Logistics flows Analysis
Company Benchmarking

Local Context Analysis – District Logistics Analysis - Local Scenario Workshop: examples
Report on key driving elements, visions and paths for SDL strategies
The “Casentino” case study (Italy)
Local Context Analysis	Summary
	SWOT analysis
	Indicators
	Local Context Analysis (e-draft paper)
	Analisi del Contesto Locale (e-bozza cartacea)
District Logistics Analysis	Summary
	SWOT analysis
	Logistics flows and business performances
	District Logistics Analysis (e-paper)
	Analisi della logistica distrettuale (e-bozza cartacea)
Local Scenario Workshop	Local Scenario Workshop
	Local Scenario Workshop (e-paper)
	Local Scenario Workshop (e-rapporto)
The “La Vega del Guadalquivir” case study (Spain)
Local Context Analysis	Summary
	SWOT analysis
	Indicators
	Local Context Analysis (e-draft paper)
District Logistics Analysis	District Logistics Analysis
	District Logistics Analysis (e-paper)
Local Scenario Workshop	Local Scenario Workshop
	Local Scenario Workshop (e-paper)
The “Northern Brabant” case study (The Netherlands)
Local Context Analysis	Summary
	SWOT analysis
	Indicators
	Local Context Analysis (e-draft paper)
District Logistics Analysis	Summary
	Logistics flows and business performances
	District Logistics Analysis (e-draft paper)
Local Scenario Workshop	Local Scenario Workshop
	Local Scenario Workshop (e-paper)
The “Trier” case study (Germany)
Local Context Analysis	Summary
	SWOT analysis
	Indicators
District Logistics Analysis	District Logistics Analysis
Local Scenario Workshop	Local Scenario Workshop
The “Viborg County” case study (Denmark)
Local Context Analysis	Summary
	SWOT analysis
	Indicators
	Local Context Analysis (e-draft paper)
District Logistics Analysis	Summary
	Logistics flows and organisation
	District Logistics Analysis (e-paper)
Local Scenario Workshop	Local Scenario Workshop
	Local Scenario Workshop (e-paper)