Abstract
With one of the fastest urbanization rates in the Global-South, many Nigerian cities are experiencing an analogous rate of concretization. Cultural studies since the 1800s revealed that towns and villages are known to have tradition-based planning system with incorporated hierarchy of open spaces rooted in vernacular Yoruba urbanism. However, it appears that due to precolonial and postcolonial influences, this rural or urban model of town planning was abandoned for Western archetypes. This study examines the use of cultural philosophies in contemporary urban planning for health and physical well-being of communities. Exploration of literature on social understanding, physical observation and digitized mapping method. Results show that there exists an institutional bias against the partial or full adoption of the cultural hierarchical planning for inclusive open spaces in contemporary urban centers. Contrary to popular perception, the study discovered that in the Yorùbá public realm, the salutogenic notions for citizens’ well-being are already integrated into city plans with inclusion of multipurpose open spaces like market, village squares and home courtyard systems. Notable in the radial, elliptical, circular or grid-iron pattern of city design widely used then, the “Oba’s Palace” epitomized the sacredness of the center of power and the hierarchical order of accessible open spaces constituted the Kings’ central-business-district (Ọjà-Ọba). City-wedge “oko etílé” served as the green container or quarter open spaces that ensured food security. The cultivation of larger agro-forestry open spaces known as “oko ẹgàn” doubled as natural reserves for community economic sustenance. The cultural integration ensured a green and healthy landscape for peoples’ physical well-being. The study advocates the preservation of this heritage for the planning of contemporary urban landscapes to enhance people-centered, culture-based, resilient and inclusive physical planning concepts for the well-being of vulnerable urban populations. Keywords: culture, philosophies, urbanism, well-being, Yorùbá
