Lamb, Jacob2022-07-282022-07-282022-07-25Lamb, J. (2022). Planning Delivery-by-Drone Micro-Fulfilment Centres [Unpublished report]. University of Calgary, Calgary, AB.http://hdl.handle.net/1880/114892“This article has been accepted for publication in Transportmetrica A: Transport Science, published by Taylor & Francis.”Delivery drones are a disruptive technology that is spurring logistics system change, such as the adoption of urban micro-fulfilment centres (MFCs). In this paper, we develop and implement a two-stage continuum approximation (CA) model of this disruptive system in a geographic information system (GIS). The model includes common CA techniques at a local level to minimise cost, and then these local solutions are used in a second stage regional location-allocation multiple knapsack problem. We then compare the drone MFC system to a traditional delivery-by-truck system and investigate potential cost or emissions savings by adjusting time-window demand, logistical sprawl, electric truck alternatives, and MFC emissions. Furthermore, we conduct a sensitivity analysis to show that uncertainty in demand and effective storage density both significantly influence the number of MFCs selected and benchmark our model against commercial solvers. This methodology may also be further developed and applied to other new delivery vehicle modes.engUnless otherwise indicated, this material is protected by copyright and has been made available with authorization from the copyright owner. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0Drone-based DeliveryGeographic Information SystemMicro-FulfilmentContinuum ApproximationInventoryreport10.11575/PRISM/39951