While attention on research and development are focused on the towns, not much is done on the rural areas and their landscape. It establishes the survival of traditional public open spaces in Imo State, Nigeria, evaluates the extent of their contribution in the socio-cultural life of the people and the role of traditional public open spaces in solving environmental problems of the city. The paper draws attention of urban designers and planners to the need to integrate and mainstream traditional public open spaces into emerging cities for sustainable and resilient urban development. With its high population density, this situation will make it one of the fastest growing urban states not only in Nigeria but in Africa. Imo state, with 534 Community Governments Centres, 27 local governments headquarters, at least 7 new towns, 7 urban centres and the state capital Owerri, making about 545 development and potential urban centres is set for not only democritising and spreading urban centres but creating resilient cities majority of which will evolve from traditional communities. ![]() This is largely achieved through the ability of the traditional public open spaces to adjust to changes in the environment. This is quite different from the situation in traditional societies of old where the environment naturally accommodates and self regulates changes without much distortion and disequilibrium, thus making the traditional environment more resilient. ![]() This poses great challenges for the emerging cities of African which are known to have witnessed increasing environmental, social and security challenges, largely due to the distortions in the natural abilities of the physical and social environments to regenerate, maintain and self sustain themselves. The trend in urbanisation lends credence to the fact that by 2050 over 80% of world population will live in urban areas with majority of this being in Africa.
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