Abstract:
Every city has its own history which expresses an identity, a symbol and an image. The ancient city of Ile-Ife, in
south-western Nigeria, presents several paradoxes. Till date, its significance vis-à-vis the totality of the culture of
the Yoruba race, continues to conflict with many of the requirements of a modernizing city. The traditional city
centre is atypical in its development as, rather than epitomizing urban city-centre rejuvenation, it has steadily
ceded commercializing activities to another part of the town. Also, the recent internecine war between Ifes and
neighbouring Modakekes has created environmental scarification, schisms in physical alignments and influenced
aberrations in both the process and actual fabric of the city’s urbanization. Three main foci have been identified as
virile urbanizing-activity zones: the city centre, the Sabo-Mayfair commercial spine and the Obafemi Awolowo
University campus. These areas are critiqued in the light of their history, peculiarities and ‘re-sourcing’ potentials.
