‘Quadrupolis’; Community squares in Igbo Philosophy of Traditional Community planning settlements, a study of Owerri capital territory, Imo State, Nigeria

Abstract

The Igbo counting philosophy is based on four,(4), or quadruplet. Thus everythingin Igboland including planning is based on four (4) and or multiples of four. This principlealso finds itself in rural planning of settlements of which community squares are the basicorganizing units. This research identified the indicators upon which this principle works in thecommunity squares and proposes a framework for the integration of traditional communitysquares in the emerging city of Owerri Capital Territory. Data were collected throughquestionnaires, Geographic Information System, GIS, Geographic Positioning System, GPS,observations and interviews. Chi-square, and Pearson correlation were used to analyse thedata and this confirmed the presence of indicators such as hierarchy of open spaces, networkof footpaths based on geometric forms in the traditional community squares. The formsshowed the universality of classical planning principles and theories proving the planningingenuity the people through history. The result showed that these affect the socioeconomic,environmental and socio-cultural activities of the people in Owerri Capital Territory.