Transport of dangerous goods in urban area: planning for sustainable future

Transport and logistics of dangerous goods contribute to economic development, but they produce risks to people and the environment. The sector is regulated by international agreements, according to United Nations recommendations and the Sustainable Development Goals of Agenda 2030. The total number of road accidents involving Transport of Dangerous Goods (TDG) is limited, but the consequences are relevant for society, environment and economy. The objective of this paper is to propose a methodology that combines Transport Risk Analysis and Web Geographic Information Systems to support TDG’s risk analyses for planning risk reduction in urban areas. The method used is based on the formulation of the risk equations with the specifications for the transport of dangerous goods. The main results of a prototypal transport risk analysis in a metropolitan area in the south of Italy are presented. The methodology and results from the application can be useful for urban planners to obtain aggregate risk estimation in line with the indicators of Agenda 2030. The proposed methodology and the results obtained are interesting because they contribute to evaluating the achievement of sustainable development objectives by means of quantitative indicators that refer to risk reduction through the development of adequate plans.