A multi-criteria decision analysis framework for assessing the environmental vulnerability of urban playgrounds: A case study of Iași, Romania

Urban playgrounds are important in many ways for children’s well-being, yet their environmental conditions remain rarely assessed in an integrated manner, particularly in post-socialist cities. This study evaluates the environmental vulnerability of 214 playgrounds in Iaşi Municipality, Romania, using a geospatial Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) framework incorporating four indicators: land surface temperature (LST), vegetation density (NDVI), noise exposure, and air quality (AQI). Indicator values were extracted within 25-meter playground buffers, normalized, and combined into a composite vulnerability index with PCA-derived weights. Results reveal marked spatial variability, with scores ranging from 6 to 87 on a 0–100 scale. Moderate vulnerability is the most prevalent condition, characterizing 46.7% of sites, while high and very high vulnerability (18.7%) concentrate in dense, traffic-exposed neighborhoods with elevated thermal stress and limited vegetation. Lower vulnerability is associated with higher elevations and proximity to green infrastructure. The findings demonstrate that formal playground distribution does not guarantee spatial environmental equity, with children in post-socialist high-density neighborhoods facing systematically worse outdoor conditions. The proposed framework is transferable and supports evidence-based planning interventions aimed at improving the environmental quality and resilience of child-oriented urban spaces.