This study investigates the current and projected needs for heavy truck parking spaces within Norrköping municipality, emphasizing accessibility and safety. Norrköping’s strategic location along Sweden’s major highways, E4 and E22, positions it as a critical logistics hub. Through GIS-based spatial analysis, semi-structured interviews with logistics operators, and field observations, the study reveals a pronounced shortage of adequate parking facilities, particularly near industrial areas and the harbor. The lack of sufficient parking forces many trucks to park in unsuitable or illegal locations along roadways, increasing traffic hazards, accident risks, and negatively affecting the occupational environment for professional drivers. Furthermore, many existing parking sites suffer from insufficient lighting, lack of surveillance, and limited amenities such as restrooms and break areas, which contribute to increased insecurity and vulnerability to theft and vandalism. The study proposes two complementary solutions to address these challenges. The primary recommendation is the establishment of a centrally located logistics center designed to provide secure parking, comprehensive driver services, and future-proofed infrastructure for electric truck charging. The secondary recommendation involves developing smaller, decentralized parking facilities close to transport-intensive zones, such as industrial districts and the harbor, to relieve pressure on central parking areas and improve convenience for drivers. Overall, the findings underscore the importance of a well-planned parking infrastructure as a key component of an efficient and sustainable logistics chain. The study highlights the need for a coordinated, long-term strategy developed collaboratively by Norrköping municipality, logistics companies, and private stakeholders. Such an approach can strengthen the city’s appeal to businesses, enhance traffic safety, improve working conditions for drivers, and contribute significantly to sustainable urban development and transport electrification goals.
Al-Ezzi et al. (Wed,) studied this question.