Globally, an urbanisation trend is underway that is creating a rising urban demand for goods and services. Especially in the Netherlands, with its limited geographical area, cities will be more densely populated by the year 2040. This will lead to an increase in the frequency and volume of urban deliveries. However, this increase in urban deliveries clashes with the lives of city inhabitants. Today's distribution vehicles disrupt the urban environment by congesting streets, increasing urban noise and polluting the air. Deliveries in the city are done with large trucks or lorries that are a direct burden to the city. Municipalities advocate for a liveable environment by imposing restrictions on heavy vehicles and strive for a truck-free city centre. However, there is no doubt that distribution vehicles will still be needed in the future urban landscape and will therefore have to adapt to contribute to a liveable environment. Aware of the changing urban landscape and future municipal and environmental requirements, leading Dutch truck brand DAF wants to offer a solution to this new urban context.

To realise the ideal urban distribution vehicle for the year 2040, the vehicle must meet the needs of the immediate stakeholders: the driver and the city inhabitants. After research on both stakeholder groups, the problems could be identified and a design vision established. The vision shows how DAF can set a new standard for how an urban distribution vehicle can be designed to integrate seamlessly into the future urban fabric. A concept has been developed that focuses on reducing the vehicle's area-time by offering a new unloading system that increases the efficiency of the unloading system, as well as increasing safety and acceptance levels for city inhabitants. In addition, the design proposal includes a recommendation on how the vehicle should be logistically deployed to ensure the sustainability and efficiency of the distribution network. Designing urban delivery vehicles in the proposed manner could ensure a future where distribution vehicles are accepted in cities and can safely share the streets with other road users.

BACKGROUND:
In vehicles there is often limited space for seats. This might mean that reclining the back rest reduces the legroom. The second row in a cargo van has this problem and in this limited space an upright seat and a reclined seat with less legroom was developed and tested.

OBJECTIVE:
The research question of this study is: Does a reclined backrest with less leg room result in the same comfort and/or discomfort as an upright backrest with more leg room?

METHODS:
Twenty participants are asked to sit 45 minutes in the upright seat with 8 cm more legroom and 45 minutes in the reclined seat. Ten participants started in the upright seat and ten in the reclined. Participants had to complete a comfort and discomfort questionnaire every 15 minutes and a qualitative interview was conducted after experiencing both seats.

RESULTS:
For comfort no statistically significant differences were found between both seats. For discomfort statistically significant differences were found where discomfort was lower in the reclined seat. Half of the participants preferred the upright and half the reclined seat. The interviews showed that the reclined position was more related to relaxation.

CONCLUSIONS:
This study indicates that a more reclined back rest results in less discomfort, but that does not lead to a clear preference of participants. The reclined position is associated with relaxing, and this study indicates that for the relaxing state the more reclined seat is preferred. For more active situations the upright posture seems better.@en