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Geosophic Urbanism: A Local Urban Morphological Philosophy Adejumo, O.T. PhD

Department of Urban and Regional Planning University Of Lagos, Akoka. Lagos.

Tel. +234 803 443 1439 tadejumo@unilag.edu.ng

Abstract

Africa’s Priorities for the New Urban Agenda emphasized the promotion of localized systems of sustainable urban development. This is not unconnected with rapid population growth, infrastructural breakdown, disorderliness, unemployment, increased urbanisation rate, large slum concentrations and associated environmental crises. If economic globalization and architectural internationalisation dominated 20th century human settlements, why are African cities the way they are? What thinking process generated the current urban scenario? How planning and design can be done locally within the context of global sustainability paradigm is the truss of this paper. The paper is underpinned by cosmopolitan localism and metanarratives.

The paper engages Yoruba pre-colonial worldview urban conceptualization process to demonstrate place based geosophic urbanism. Yoruba urban planning metanarrative rooted in Ifa mythology of earth creation was deciphered to isolate cosmograms, ‘4’ and ‘16’ design numerology, harmonious energy sharing, signs and symbols useful in the redefinition of ordered and vibrant people centred cities. Cladding such place conscious local urbanism with modernisation generates geosophic urbanism. It is nesting contemporary urban features on meaningful local urban templates. On this platform geosophic landscapes is seen as resilient rootstock on which can be grafted compatible symbolic economy and functional modern infrastructures as appealing scions.

Key Words: Sustainability, Localism; Metanarrative; Geosophic urbanism; Place making

1. INTRODUCTION

Sustainability is the philosophical undercurrent driving United Nations Conference on human

settlements. At the centre of this thinking process is city form redefinition which addresses

the state of urban physical characteristics including spatial configuration, shape, coverage,

density and economic productivity. Globally metropolitan economy surpasses that of the rural

settlements making effective entrepreneurship impossible without a close tie to the mega

urban centres. This scenario is very important bearing mind the increasing demographic

statistics on city growth globally. More than 50% of world’s population live in cities and by

2030 it is projected that urban dwellers will outnumber rural settlements (UN-Habitat, 2013).

National statistics shows sharp increase in urbanisation rate from 10.1% in 1960 to 45.9% in

2001 and a projection of 55.5% for year 2015 (Fadare, 2013). The observed rising

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urbanisation rate in Nigeria is responsible for the increase in large human settlements from 56

cities in 1953 to over 450 in 2000 using a thresh hold of 20,000 people (Kadiri 2009). The

implication of this increase is that Nigeria of tomorrow will be influenced by how urban

centres are conceptualised, built, managed and governed.

The ultimate goal of UN Conference on human settlements (Habitat III) is the generation of

new urban agenda for the 21st century cities (UN-Habitat, 2013). Aligning with this goal

demands an understanding of sustainability on city scale with a solid foundation on equity,

place making, inclusive prosperity and resiliency to both human and natural disasters. That

means different urban reform layers including city form should be influenced to achieve

pragmatic sustainability in human settlements. Urban form addresses the physical

characteristics that constitute human settlements including shape, size, density and spatial

definition. Such ordered characteristics are no more legible in sub Saharan African cities

including Nigeria. Nigerian environmental critiques often paint the gory tales of urban chaos

typified by traffic congestions, drifting unemployed population, infrastructural breakdown,

large slum concentration and unabated sprawl. Fadare (2013), resonating the worries of

Nigerian built environment professionals, desires to identify the root cause of disorderliness,

failure and meaningless city form. If economic globalization and architectural

internationalisation dominate the form of 20th century human settlements, why are these

cities the way they are? What thinking process generated the current urban morphology?

What paradigm shift can influence people oriented global south urbanism in tune with new

urban agenda? This paper explores geosophy as identity conscious local sustainable thinking

process to address the shortcomings. Geosophy is the wisdom indigenous people have used

to live harmoniously on geo referenced landscapes over time. The paper explores Yoruba

worldview urban conceptualization processes to demonstrate place based urbanism.

Yoruba nation lies between longitudes 10 25/E and 60 45/E; and Latitudes 50 55/N and 90 10/N

above the equator. According to Obateru (2006), Yoruba nation territorially lie between River

Mono in central Republic of Togo and the confluence of Rivers Niger and Benue in Nigeria

(Figure 1). The southern limit is defined by Bight of Benin while Jebba on River Niger serve

as the northern boundary. It is currently cover 128,956 square kilometres.

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paradigm that separates human system from natural systems. Cartesian paradigm is held

accountable for human alienation, class differences and social injustice (Smith, et al. 2011). It

drove the 3-dimensional implementation of British colonial ‘divide and rule’ philosophy.

‘Dual City’ urbanism was composed of European Reservation Areas (ERA) and native

quarters (Immerwahr, 2007). While ERA was planned on British Garden City model, the

native areas maintained pre-colonial organic urban landscape with a wide green buffer not

only as a developmental wedge but as a natural partition. As noted by Fadare (2013) it

evolved a new urban form that classifies her residents by their colour, race, and socioi-

economic class into high, medium and low densities. Dual urbanism never allowed for

equity; use of revenues from resources was skewed towards provision of infrastructure for

ERA; and prosperity shifted from the city state paramount rulers (Oba) to the British Crown.

It marked the end of City governance in Nigeria, eradication of indigenous city chamber of

commerce in urbanised regions of the newly amalgamated nation. A decade before

independence, colonial era quietly introduced “tropical architecture modernism” as a

morphological modifier of urban dualism.

Tropical architecture modernism” was an applied Le Corbusier architectural modernism to

tropical buildings and human settlements introduced by his associates in Chandigarh city

building project (Immerwahr, 2007). Citing Fry and Drew (1962), (Immerwahr, 2007)

observed that the focal point of ‘tropical architectural modernism’ was climatic adaptation of

international modernism style without any consideration for culture. By 1960 it had matured

as a State developmental strategy. It did not tamper with colonial era urban values but simply

renamed ERA as Government Reservation Area (GRA). It was a period of introduction of

new neighbourhoods and towns at the city and metropolitan periphery in the mode of ERA.

This era permits architecture of diverse foreign styles introduced by hordes of contractors and

consultants who wrongly interpreted mimesis in architectural art to mean transplanting

buildings from Mediterranean coastlines, Dubai, London and American cities to hot and

humid Nigeria without consideration for culture and climatic differences. The new urban

actors including highhanded Military dictators, desperate political class, compromising

regulators and unprepared local consultants did not fully understand garden city philosophy

that drove ERA. The results are developed housing estates and satellite towns that manifested

advance symptoms of urban decay before completion.

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2. QUEST FOR NATIONAL URBAN PHILOSOPHY

The 2012 National Urban Development Policy advocated for a new “philosophy of urban

planning, design, planning laws, regulations and standards to reflect the peculiarities and

priorities of Nigerians” (NTWG, 2009). This gives credence to the submission that urban

morphology should be nested on the philosophy of the people for economic, ecological and

social sustainability. The fact is that philosophy and principles use for urban planning in

global south are still based on obsolete global North approaches (Watson, 2009; Bolay,

2015). Unfortunately these ideologies and strategies do not accommodate the prevailing

needs and morphological world views. Glaring observation is that developmental intervention

in contemporary African cities using poorly understood Western ideology and adopted

developmental strategies are not directed at solving most problems confronting city people on

equitable basis (Bolay, 2015). His observation is that such urban intervention is skewed

towards the abode of pro west ruling class and their business class surrogates. On the other

side of the city is perpetuation of poverty that encourages informality at its lowest ebb

(Bolay, 2015).

2.1 Order in Disorder--Thesis of Informality as African Urbanism

A wrong signal is emanating to see informality as urban developmental strategy in Africa.

Informal urbanism is an urbanization process that do not follow adopted frameworks for city

growth in all its ramifications. It is neither a poverty nor racial issue but has a common

denominator of noncompliance to established regulatory institution and physical planning

apparatus. Noncompliance is itself traceable to survival by poor rural migrants to cities in

search of better lifestyle. In the State of the World’s Cities 2012/2013, UN-Habitat estimated

the number of people living in the slums of the world’s developing regions as 863 million.

61.7% of African urban population lives in slums, Latin America and Caribbean region urban

slum-dwellers rate is 24% and 30% in Asia. Slums and sprawling informal settlements are

global issues. Informal urbanism should not been seen as an African urbanism but a

paradigm to comprehend the menace of inequality in urban processes. Dovey (2013)

definition of these settlements in terms of ‘lack’ is informative. He sees them as human

habitats that lack ‘land tenure; lack open space, durability, water or sanitation; and lack of

control over planning, design and construction’.

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.  The ultimate goal of Habitat III is the generation of New Urban Agenda for the 21st century

cities as sprawl continue to eat up global landscapes (United Nations Economic and Social

Commission for Asia and the Pacific. E/ESCAP/CED(3)/5 (2013). Aligning with this goal

demands a fresh wave of urban sustainability with a solid foundation on equity, inclusive

prosperity for all and resiliency to both human and natural disasters. This demands a well-

defined urban philosophical driving force. How to plan and design in harmony with the

biosphere as a global ecosystem is the issue at hand. As noted by Williams et al., (2000)

quoted by Jenks (2004) “Sustainable urban forms will only be achievable if they are

underpinned by a policy background which commits to global sustainability goals, but leaves

room for local formation and implementation of solutions”.

3.0 LOCALISM IN SUSTAINABILITY

Cosmopolitanism is a global ideology conceptualised by Western Europe and United States

of America for other nations of the world. This global design principle is traceable to

Immanuel Kant’s one localism cosmopolitan ideals that drove colonialism (Manzini, 2011).

Kant’s cosmopolitanism was conceptualized on the assumption of the needs to civilise non

Western patches of the globe using Eurocentric localism. It drove colonial universality,

forcing global south and their supporting landscapes to configure their existence on

developed western template. But colonial localism being universal lost grip with time and

could not fit in 21st century global political economics, hence the need for redefinition

(Manzini 2010, 2011). This is because the phenomena of globalization and networking have

given a new meaning to the word localism. Cosmopolitan localism was coined by Wolfgang

Sachs as solutions to global problems on local scale driven by place making principles;

influenced by contextual social, cultural and landscape parameters; and linked to global

networks in the sharing of compatible resources, information and technology (Manzini 2011).

This form of localism allows an alternative model of wellbeing where socio-cultural and

landscape contexts play major role in advancing the course of resilient quality of life on

urban scale. Mignolo (2011) further explanation differentiate contemporary cosmopolitan

localism from Eurocentric definition thereby severing colonialism linkages to a large extent.

In this case Cosmopolitanism works in the absence of master-global design. Cosmopolitan

localism should not be seen as universal but pluri-versal. That is, it is not a replication of a

particular society’s localism all over the biosphere but multiple localism reflecting

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characteristics of that patch of the biosphere as a global ecosystem. It is localism for

culturally bounded group of people living in geo-referenced interactive landscapes on a

habitable segment of the biosphere. Manzini’s (2011) vision of cosmopolitan localism ‘as a

creative balance between being rooted in a given place and community and being open to

global flows of ideas, information, people, things and money’ is preferred for this paper

But if cosmopolitan localism is to be meaningful in Africa it should never accommodate

individual political or opinion leader perception. Individualism among the supposed few

African elites compromise in communal decision making (Bolay, 2015). Rather cosmopolitan

localism should be viewed on landscape scale as a geo specific thinking framework that

enhances continuous derivation of ecological goods and services with adequate capacity to

influence economic development of supporting city. Localism then becomes much needed

catalyst for sustainability to be meaningful at the grass root. Consciously or otherwise the

landscape irrespective of scale is underpinned by philosophy on time and space. Political,

economic, cultural and religious principles are inscribed by man on landscapes in layers.

Therefore urban landscape is a palimpsest of philosophies of yesteryears that influence both

immovable and movable cultures including buildings and streetscapes (Baker, 2007). The

embedded cultural messages should be decoded to comprehend inherent meaning beneficial

to urban design and planning. Abu-Lughod (1987) submission that planning in recent times is

turning to history to recreate empires and city states achievements of yesteryears in spatial

configuration of contemporary cities is timely. Localism will look through the window of

metanarrative to comprehend developmental identity of a people in city building process.

Leaning on metanarratives as geopolitical developmental tool is not really new. Denison

(2016) submission is that Iran acquisition of nuclear power is nested on the re-creation of

powerful Persian Empire; Tyyip Erdogan Turkey’s metanarrative is to rebuild defunct

adventurous Ottoman Empire; European Union is nothing but a metanarrative of all

conquering and powerful Roman Empire (Denison, 2016). Lyotard (1984) reference to

metanarrative as unifying and controlling narrative of historical undertakings that somehow

guaranteed local truth is meaningful in the search for acceptable and all-embracing principle.

Hence it is viewed as historical ideological construct that universalized particular knowledge

experienced at particular period by a people on the platform of epistemology (Javaid, 2013).

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Metanarrative is often rooted in religion or at best coloured by the belief system driving the

socio cultural achievement of a people. In pre-modern cultures there is no distinction between

philosophy and religion (Javaid 2013). But when the supernatural content in a religion is

carefully segregated and graphically represented, philosophical perception of indigenous

people on diverse issues is made real (Javaid, 2013). That is, driving design and planning

philosophy of a people can be sieved and graphically represented from core religious belief

system. The graphic representation becomes planning and design templates that generate

sense of place. In this season of global environmental crises there is need for alternative local

concepts on how to harmoniously live with nature. Such biocentric world view is better

conceived through the window of indigenous knowledge. Pre-industrial indigenous people,

indeed aboriginal communities, engaged local wisdom to plan and design sustainably within

contextual landscapes. It demands a clear understanding of geosophic perspective of a people

which is the wisdom aboriginal society used to inhabit her landscapes. Geosophy is a world

view ecological living philosophy. The exploration of Yoruba geosophic perspective and

cosmological worldview as local thinking model in sustainable city building process is

necessary to conceptualise new urban agenda meaningful to the people. Nelson et al (2010)

suggestion that exploration of preliterate and preindustrial cosmological world view

illuminates the input of culture in urban framework justifies this approach. It is hinged on the

understanding that driving astronomical knowledge and local view of the universe played

dominant roles in the spatial configuration of ancient cultural landscapes.

5. YORUBA URBANISM METANARRATIVE

Oduduwa dynasty established an organised urban system unparalleled in sub Saharan Africa

between 750 A.D. and 1787 A.D. that marked the beginning of slave trade oiled Yoruba

tribal crises. Obateru (2006) referred to that era as Yoruba city building golden age. Pre-

colonial account of Yoruba urbanism showcased the unique city planning system that

distinguished Yorubas as premier urban society in Africa south of Sahara. Munoz (2005)

referring to the works of early Christian missionaries, European explorers and colonial

administrators identified twelve mid-19th century Yoruba cities with population of over

30,000 people. Included are Ibadan-100,000 people recorded by Hinderer 1851; Iseyin-

70,000 and Oghomoso-45,000 recorded by Turker in1853; Abeokuta-100,000, Lagos- 30,000

and Ijaiye- 90,000 recorded by Campbell in 1861; and Ondo-60,000 recorded by Moloney in

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1890. Ife, Iwo, Oyo, Ilesha, Akure, Owo, Ikare and Kabba were cities that had population

above 20,000 people within this period. This confirmed Fadipe (1970) and Ogunba (2002)

assertion that Yoruba civilization thrived in cities. Besides, Fadipe (1970), Munoz (2005)

and Obateru (2006) submitted that Yoruba urban centres spatial configurations are similar in

form.

5.1 The Root of Planning and Design Philosophy

Traditional Yoruba urbanism was for years attributed to her monarchical system of

governance (Krapf-Askari 1965, Fadipe 1970 and Munoz 2005). The city was seen as an

expression of the political, social and religious system with a collective allegiance to a

sacred King (Oba) that governs through a hierarchy of sectional chiefs (Ijoye) and

extended family heads (Oloriebi) (Fadipe 1970). The ideology is deeper than perceived

and is well expressed in Ifa educational system (Adejumo & Adebamowo, 2012). Ifa is the

compendium of Yoruba people way of life. The physical structures of these classic cities

were based on Ifa mythology of earth creation. Yoruba belief that all creation emanated

from a supreme being called “Olodumare” a self-existent being responsible for the

creation and maintenance of heaven and earth; of man; and divinities that are his

functionaries as well as intermediaries between mankind and his person (Awolalu, 1979).

“Olodumae” according to the Yoruba myth is surrounded by divinities that he created and

assigned different duties. These divinities are in hierarchical order. Those that had been

existing before the creation of the earth and man are called “primordial divinities”

including ‘Orisa-nla’ assigned the role to lead fifteen others in the creation of man and

earth from the global flood (Awolalu, 1979). 16 orisas were sent from heaven to create

earth. In Ifa corpus the 16 ‘orisas’ are referred to as ‘Agbaagba merindinlogun’ and

formed the root statement ‘Agbaagba merindinlogun ti o ti isalu orun bo wa saye’

(meaning sixteen elders that descended from invincible realm to planet earth) (Adejumo &

Adebamowo, 2012). The spot of descent on planet earth is Ile-Ife. In Ifa earth creation

story, Ile-Ife is Yoruba’s navel of the earth with a direct link to planet heaven (Awolalu,

1979). After the completion of earth creation, the transformed ‘16 elders’ proceeded to

establish 16 quarters or districts at Ile Ife as the premier Yoruba urban center (Figure 3).

This is corroborated by Krapt- Askaris (1969) finding that Ile-Ife was formerly made up of

17 quarters including a central quarter that houses the palace and sixteen others.

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Figure 3: Ifa Earth and City Creation Process (Adejumo & Adebamowo, 2012)

Other Yoruba human settlements were platted on this cosmological philosophy that

evolved from her mythology of earth creation. The statement ‘Agbaagba merindinlogun ti

o ti isalu orun bo wa saye’ is further modified as ‘Agbaagba merindinlogun ti nse awo ni

ikole orun ni se awo ni ikole aye - ode Ife’ (translated to mean 16 divinities that operate a

secret wisdom in the heavenly realm has transformed to the 16 elders that operate secret

wisdom at Ile Ife the point of decent on planet earth). In heaven, Olodumare is the

commander in chief supported by 16 Orisas. The principle of sixteen divinities in

mythological earth creation translated to sixteen elders with the Oba at the center

constitutes the framework of Yoruba human settlements. The principle is ‘Ikole aye’ (Ile

Ife) must be a replica of ‘Ikole orun’ (intangible realm where ‘Olodumare’ sends 16

divinities to create earth). Since Olodumare’ is the monarch of the spiritual realm and the

universe then the Oba (King) is the monarch in this realm of matter holding fort for him.

This is Yoruba human settlement building philosophy.

5.2 Theory of Yoruba Planning and Design Numerology

Four of the sixteen deities are primordial divinities and often referred to as major “orisas”.

Included in this category are Orisa-nla, Ifa, ‘Jakuta’ and ‘Lakaiye’. Orisa-nla is associated

with the north; Ifa with the west; Jakuta with the east; and Lakaiye with the south (Adejumo

& Adebamowo, 2012). Sixteen quarters with a strong allegiance to the seventeenth core and

INTANGIBLE REALM

TANGIBLE REALM

HEAVEN

* Orisa’s * Olodumare

EARTH

* Oba* Quarter chiefs

ECOFORM CATEGORY(Ecoform Conceptual Framework)

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association of cardinal points with the four primordial orisas’ becomes a recurring decimal in

Yoruba philosophy of life. While the cardinal points are associated with 4 primordial deities,

Yoruba run a 4 day week named after the same primordial ‘orisas’. Research works on Ifa

corpus revealed the place of ‘16’ and ‘4’ in divination system. There are 16 major ‘Ifa Odus’.

Ifa divination is done with 16 cowries or 4 halves of Cola nitida seed (Ologundudu, 2008).

The recurrence of ‘16’ and ‘4’ is a Yoruba cultural adherence to Hermetic principle which

states that, "As above, so below; as below, so above.” That is whatever is below (earth) is like

unto that which is above (heaven)’. In the Yoruba understanding of intangible realm there are

’16 prominent ‘orisas’ on the beck and call of ‘Olodumare’. On the earth (material realm)

there are also 16 ’Oloye’ (Chiefs) answerable to the king (Oba). Therefore ‘16’ and ‘4’are

Yoruba design numerology engaged in arts, crafts, textile, pottery as well as urban

architecture.

5.3 Geomantic Planning--- Towards Geosophic Urbanism

How diverse activities are ordered on the landscapes as base plane without remarkable

alteration of ecological system on which the myth and the values of the people thrive is

the core of local harmony. Geosophy emphasis appropriate wisdom and knowledge that

man had acquired in living within the ecological structure of a geo referenced location in

the biosphere. This is achieved by a localized art of site planning to detect and determine

culturally conducive attributes of the earth-cape for a fruitful existence in this realm of

matter. Environmental harmony on Yoruba city planning platform is achieved through

geomantic site planning that draw strength from beneficial bio-force on the landscapes. As

noted by Famule (2005) Yoruba personified earth as a spirit being. He noted that Yoruba

earth goddess is regarded as Ogboni. Earth is believed to possess either good and bad

energy or bio-force called ‘ase’ (Famule, 2005). Such bioforce (ase) is believed to enhance

positive harmonic relationship between man and nature for economic, social, ecological,

and administrative governance. Fatunbi (2004) noted that Ifa myth of earth creation

claimed that Ile-Ife is not only the navel of earth but the premier high earth energy

concentration (dome) that was activated by “Orisanla”. The other sixteen quarters are also

geomantically located on minor domes that relate to main central dome through ley lines

carrying bio-force. It is dual energy movement namely vertical cosmic energy and

horizontal terrestrial energy flow (Figure 4). Geomancy divinely relates human design

with cosmic design forms so as to harmoniously access intangible attributes entrenched in

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radiant earth energy.

Figure 4: Yoruba Geomantic Planning (Adejumo & Adebamowo, 2012)

Ifa geomantic planning identifies the city core as major city dome where earth energy is

assessed. Most of the national Yoruba deities’ shrines are located within the core land uses

including the palace and king’s market. The city core as the temple is point of religious

activities throughout the year. Hence the symbol of the city is ‘Orita ’translated as junction. It

is a spiritual interchange where men and divinities commune ((Awolalu, 1979)). City core as

the prime dome (orita) communicate vertically to heaven and also horizontally to other minor

domes in the quarters. So the city core becomes a panoramic and spiritual vantage position

for king that doubles as city state priest to exercise his authority over the city state.

5.4 Religion and Philosophy in Yoruba Urban Metanarrative

Religion is intertwined with the socio cultural behaviour of the people especially with the

relationship to cosmic influences. Yoruba people belief system is polytheist. It is nature based

communing with the supreme ‘Olodumare’ through ‘orisas’ (divinities). Besides the 16 earth

creation ‘orisas’ contingent there are several others attached to hills, rivers and other

inanimate objects. Most of the national Yoruba deities are located within the core land uses

especially the palace and the adjoining king’s market (Adejumo & Adebamowo, 2012).

Therefore the city core is a major temple full of religious activities throughout the year. That

is why Munoz (2003) classified pre-colonial Yoruba urban centres as ceremonial cities. The

EARTH

HEAVEN

EN

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GY

BioforceCity Core

ENVIRONMENTAL HARMONY CATEGORY(Environmental Harmony Conceptual Framework)

14  

later depicts urban structural framework where ritual expressions drives societal morals on

one hand and influences relationship between its constituent members. Munoz (2003)

referred to these settlements as “ritual paradigm of the ordination of society, through which

the values and attitudes needed for its continuity are inculcated”. These civic- religious rites

constitute the undercurrent moving diverse cultural ceremonies that people are attached.

Indigenous Yoruba public realm was therefore conceptualized to drive the city religious

paradigm.

The theoretical lay out of classic Yoruba cities is based on 4 cardinal points named after four

primordial deities with a strong central location occupied by the royal palace and market

precedent (Figure 5). The theoretical structure of classic Yoruba city is that of a radial system

with between 5 and 7 primary road. While cosmology refers to mythology and Yoruba

aboriginal city foundation, mimesis highlights the principle of mimicking heavenly divinities

in this material realm to arrive at 16 radial forms with prominent 4 cardinal points. The

cosmic design form for Yoruba settlements is 16 sided polygon with a square insertion which

runs along the cardinal points. On a two dimensional line drawing Yoruba classical city is not

a perfect circular wheel as previously theorized (Krapf-Askari, 1965; Munoz, 2005; Obateru,

2006). It is 16 sided cosmogram (Adejumo& Adejumo, 2012). This cosmogram is mimicked

in the city configuration with the palace and King’s market occupying the centre. The city

core is the point of convergence of the sixteen radiating streets especially some of the streets

that runs on east-west and north-south axis. The orientation in figure tilted in favour of east.

That is the position of the rising sun meaningful to palace ritual paradigm. This cosmogram is

a fusion of religion and planning philosophy. Generating the philosophical perception of the

people demands the removal of religious supernatural contents from the cosmogram (Javaid

2013).

Each of

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17  

6. CONCLUSION

The existing Nigeria, indeed south west geopolitical zone, urban morphology is a product of

colonial “dual city philosophy” and “adopted post independent tropical modernism”

principles. Developing high quality 21st century cityscape demands dynamic relationship

between originality, authenticity, generous green infrastructure, aesthetics and architectural

reinvention influenced by people’s geosophic perspective that appreciate environmental

harmony. Biocentrism, arc-ology, eco-city, biophillia, bio-mimicry, biomorphism, and host of

other nature driven philosophic underpinnings emanated in this post modernism era to drum

up support for harmonic relationship between city as human cultural system and its

ecosystems. Driving Yoruba nation new urban agenda by ‘4’ in ‘16’ geosophic urbanism

philosophy is not situating spatial order in pre-colonial era. The goal is to develop a symbol

system that has capacity to accommodate dynamic social and cultural representations resilient

to the force of globalisation. Originality must delve into the layers of derived geosophic

urbanism to define inclusive policies for compactible infrastructure provision; urban

architecture that carry desired cultural essences and biomimetic architectural forms and

processes from contextual eco-region. Authenticity should look at the bioregional

functionality of guinea savannah, rainforest and sand-lagoon barrier coastal bioregions that

currently support Yoruba cityscapes. Aesthetics should accommodate grafted western

finishes to allow individual preferences on a community scale. Architectural reinvention

produces structures, though western, but invokes the much desired spirit of Yoruba urbanism.

This will emanate from the platform of architectural hybridisation where local urban design

context serve as culturally sustainable rootstock on which may be grafted compatible

aesthetic driven western design intents as scions. Ordered green infrastructure should be

conscious of both healthy recreation and sequestration capacity relative to population growth.

Incorporating public art driven by mythology, historic events and people enhance attachment

to open spaces. Public art at this level is centred on deeds, contributions and exploits made by

local heroes and outstanding opinion leaders of yesteryears. Such art works reflect communal

aspiration and thematically located in connected planned urban open space system.

 

18  

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Citation:

Adejumo, T.O (2019). Geosophic Urbanism: A Localized Urban Developmental Philosophy. Chapter in the Book: Urban Crisis and Management in Africa - A Festschrift for Prof. Akin Mabogunje. Isaac Olawale Albert and Taibat Lawanson (Ed.). Society for Peace Studies and Practice (SPSP). Pan-African University Press. Austin, Texas. USA. Pp 469-487.