Optimal location of vertiports in urban areas: the case study of Bari (Italy)

New emerging mobility technologies are seen as an adequate solution in urban areas for reducing traffic congestion and emissions, as well as enhancing better connectivity and accessibility of significant zones in urban areas. For instance, recent advancements in Urban Air Mobility (UAM) have opened the possibility of improving transportation services, especially in zones that require higher accessibility or faster inter-city connections. In this context, the design and location of UAM ground infrastructures, namely vertiports, are perceived as one of the main aspects of this novel service. Thus, this work proposes a model based on the Maximum Coverage Location Problem (MCLP) for determining optimal locations for vertiports in urban areas for parcel delivery. The model aims at maximizing the demand coverage of each vertiport within a predefined service/distance range. As a case study, the urban area of the city of Bari was considered to evaluate the outcomes of the proposed model. Moreover, a sensitivity analysis has been carried out by constructing different scenarios associated to different demand attributes and number of vertiports. The obtained results highlight the importance of considering the main practical recommendations and aspects that influence vertiports' location and potential UAM demand growth in Bari.