Model Predictive Control of Port–City Traffic Interactions Over Shared Urban Infrastructure

We propose a model predictive control (MPC) scheme for the real-time optimization of interactions between logistic traffic and urban mobility, in contexts where a port is located within a city center. The aim is to mitigate negative phenomena related to traffic sharing the same urban space, through the efficient operation of existing infrastructure at a tactical/operational level. To this purpose, we first define an integrated model of the port/city interactions, focusing on the import and export chains in proximity of the port where trucks and general mobility vehicles interact. Then, we implement an MPC approach in order to optimize an objective function reflecting the interests of the different involved stakeholders. An important feature of the presented model is that it allows the analysis of different levels of cooperation between the city and the port, highlighting possible advantages of increased coordination at the operational level. To evaluate the effect of the proposed control scheme, we present a case study based on the port of Genova in north-west Italy.