The population living in large urban areas faces multiple pressures on their physical and psychological well-being coming from various polluting sources: air pollution, water pollution, and high noise level, thermal and visual stress. Urban green spaces have a positive impact on human health, as they help people relax more. Stress relief through physical exercise and social interaction is possible by having an increased access to parks or other green areas. As in the case of many growing cities, Craiova faces a continuous demand for more construction development space, while the shrinkage of urban green areas is becoming an issue. Using a GIS-based method, this study analyses the accessibility of Craiova residents to urban green spaces, identifying the areas with reduced green spaces and making recommendations for the improvement of the green areas available to residents. The number and location of the parks in the city are correlated with the population density within residential areas in order to analyse the accessibility to green areas based on both walking and driving distance between the access points of the green spaces and the residential areas. Data indicate an unevenly distribution of parks and access to green areas.

While aspiring to become internationally valued producers of high-quality wines, certain Romanian wineries recently turned towards wine tourism. Given the increasing role of smart devices and online-based information in holiday selection and planning, the main objective of the paper is to evaluate the online presence, informational content and effectiveness of Romanian wineries’ websites for the promotion of wine tourism. This evaluation comprised 53 features tested in previous research and organized into four categories: main website characteristics, wine tourism, marketing, and education. Based on content analysis conducted on 154 websites of wineries identified in all Romanian regions, scores were computed and, subsequently, wineries were classified, mapped, and evaluated. The findings show that certain basic features are overall available, while exclusive features that could positively influence tourist preferences and experiences are insufficient in terms of design, education, and marketing characteristics. Less than 50% of the analysed websites inform about wine tasting activities, less than 35% specify visiting hours, and less than 20% mention tourist amenities. The websites that indicate other local wineries, allied industries or tourist attractions represent exceptions. This study underlines the importance of leveraging digital tools within the marketing strategy of wineries and the need to enhance networking among regional stakeholders as prerequisite for sustainable development.

The research presents the results of a survey carried on in Craiova, one of the largest Romanian cities, which contains numerous buildings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, some of which were reconsolidated and brought back to use, while others are still decaying. The aim was to spatially investigate residents’ perceptions of the built heritage in the historical city center of Craiova based on questionnaires and mapping perceptions using the Emotional GIS (EGIS) methodology proposed by Wang (2021) and the extent to which this heritage could be a valuable asset for cultural tourism. The alteration of function as well as the context for part of the historical area of the city center testify to the musealization of the study area. The large number of buildings included on the heritage list outlines the characteristics of a living open-air museum, capitalizing on the heritage in situ.

The present study represents a social and geographical analysis of the spatial distribution of pharmacies in Craiova city using GIS methods. This study aims to present the evolution in the pharmacies’ number, location, density and accessibility to the population of Craiova city on the background of an analysis of European and national legislation concerning the pharmaceutical sector. The paper also outlines the uneven distribution of pharmacies in the city by analysing the ratio between the number of pharmacies and the number of people within a district. Distance and time are considered important, especially when using different transport types. Indicators like density of pharmacies, distribution of population density, and population size in districts were taken into account in this study. Although the GIS-based analysis revealed that accessibility of pharmacies in terms of time and distance and the ratio of population size to number of pharmacies were both good and had increased over the years, the study also indicated residential areas with no pharmacy, and therefore an uneven distribution of pharmaceutical services.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created complex socio-political situations, as the health crisis was paralleled by the reshaping of lifestyle patterns and induced severe economic changes. By means of an online survey, this study aims to investigate the population perceptions of risk in Romania: it examines important psychological and social factors related to risk perception and behaviours, as well as attitudes toward quarantine and physical distancing. By means of statistical analysis, the data were analysed and a GIS environment was used to visualise data distributions. Our findings indicate that if the perceived risk associated to the epidemic is high, people will change their normal behaviours, adopt preventative measures, adhere to strict hygiene practices and are willing to self-isolate for the benefit of their peers, which they tend to see as running a greater risk than themselves. Women and people with higher educational status tend to be more worried about the current situation, but regarding the severity, almost all men believe they would risk a severe state if infected. In conclusion, the perception of high risk associated with COVID-19 can lead not only to positive behavioural changes (mainly physical distancing and improved hygiene), but also to a rapid mobilisation and active involvement of communities, which are vital for stopping transmission of the virus.

Sustainable development has been a global concern worldwide for the last decades now, but only recently have the challenges faced by small towns, especially in regions experiencing population contraction been addressed. (1) Background: This article delves into the case of Romania, a country in Eastern Europe that has witnessed significant demographic, social and economic changes in recent decades. Population contraction in small towns can significantly impact their future development. (2) Methods: The research was conducted in three stages: first, we selected relevant demographic, economic, financial and social indices (16 in total), then we analysed their changes over time, and forecast their values based on statistical data to assess economic development sustainability for 215 small towns with less than 20,000 inhabitants. (3) Results: Following the aggregation of the quantitative indicators and the demographic changes, we identified four categories of small towns. (4) Conclusions: the study underlines the importance of adopting proper policies targeting small towns in Romania to ensure their long-term viability by implementing targeted policies and strategies such as incentives for local businesses, improving educational and healthcare facilities, and promoting entrepreneurship. The ultimate goal is to mitigate the adverse effects of population contraction and pave the way for more sustainable and resilient communities.