Towards Child-Friendly Cities in Jordan
Identifying and Prioritizing Key Elements via Delphi Consensus
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19489152 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Lara Alshawawreh (0000-0002-3103-4428, Mutah University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 10 |
| Issue | 5 |
| Pages | 224 |
| Publication date | 2026-04-23 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Urban Science (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2413-8851 • E-ISSN: 2413-8851 |
| Publisher | MDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT) |
| DOI | 10.3390/urbansci10050224 |
| OpenAlex | W7155377376 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 21 |
As urbanization continues to reshape societies, the concept of child-friendly cities (CFCs) has emerged as a rights-based approach to support the well-being of children in urban environments, particularly as increasing numbers of children grow up in rapidly expanding cities. While international frameworks provide general guidance, effective implementation requires contextual adaptation. Despite Jordan’s commitment to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, limited research has examined how CFC principles translate into urban policy and practice. This study explores the conceptualization of CFCs in the Jordanian context by identifying and prioritizing key stakeholders, urban features, barriers, and evaluation indicators. A structured Delphi methodology consisting of iterative rounds was used to gather cross-sectoral expert perspectives and establish areas of consensus. The findings reveal disparities in resources and efforts across governorates and cities while highlighting the recognized role of municipalities and local governments alongside a limited acknowledgement of non-traditional actors such as media. Prioritized features emphasize clean and climate-responsive environments, while funding limitations were identified as a major constraint and child safety as the most critical indicator. This study provides a consensus-based reference for understanding the key dimensions of CFCs in Jordan and contributes to the discussion on localizing CFC frameworks
Acknowledgement · Conceptualization · Convention · Delphi · Delphi method · Children's Rights and Participation · Sustainability and Climate Change Governance · Urban Transport and Accessibility
Can the Neighborhood Built Environment Make a Difference in Children's Development? Building the Research Agenda to Create Evidence for Place-Based Children's Policy
Children's Access to Local Environments
An Experimental Application of the DELPHI Method to the Use of Experts
A Child-Friendly City
The Delphi technique as a forecasting tool
Global Perspectives on Children's Independent Mobility
Considering the Natural Environment in the Creation of Child-Friendly Cities
Child-Friendly Cities and Communities
Understanding children’s neighbourhood destinations
A Prefigurative Politics of Play in Public Places
Building Better Cities with Children and Youth
Children’s Rights and the Crisis of Rapid Urbanisation
Urban design strategies for creating child-friendly neighborhoods
Making child-friendly cities
Building Child Friendly Cities in the Mena region
Caregiving in the city
Making child-friendly cities
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |