BY SEKYEN WALSHAK
A professor of architecture at the University of Jos has called for the transformation of cemeteries into functional urban green spaces that promote environmental sustainability, cultural memory, and social well-being.
Delivering the 120th inaugural lecture titled “Greenspaces in Architectural Urban Composition: Jos Cemetery as a Living Memory Among the Living in Jos Metropolis,” Prof. Chanle Sati stressed that cemeteries should not be viewed merely as burial grounds but as integral parts of the urban fabric that preserve collective memory while contributing to environmental sustainability.
“Cemeteries, when properly designed, become spaces where nature and culture converge, where memory lives among the living,” he said.
Sati described cemeteries as “living urban archives” that connect generations and preserve history within rapidly growing cities.
“Caring for cemeteries is caring for memory. To honour the past is to guide the future,” he said.
According to him, architecture must go beyond providing physical structures to fostering meaning, identity, and environmental balance. He warned that rapid urbanization often leads to the neglect of culturally and ecologically significant spaces such as cemeteries.
Drawing from research and observations, the professor explained that green spaces, including parks, gardens, and cemeteries, play a crucial role in influencing human behaviour, reducing stress, and improving social interaction.
He mentioned that people tend to feel calmer and more cooperative in green environments compared to dense, built-up “brown” spaces.
Sati said that for the Jos Cemetery, with its strategic location and large size, the site suffers from neglect, poor planning, environmental degradation, and encroachment threats.
He pointed to issues such as disorganized grave layouts, weak spatial design, bush burning, and lack of maintenance, which undermine the dignity and purpose of the space. But when properly designed, cemeteries could provide three key benefits: spiritual connection, emotional reflection, and environmental enhancement.
He urged policymakers and urban planners to formally recognize cemeteries in city master plans as ecological and cultural assets rather than neglected spaces.
Chanle proposed a new architectural approach that integrates cemeteries into urban planning as accessible green infrastructure. This, he said, would include organized layouts, pedestrian pathways, landscaping, and proximity to residential areas within walking distance.
Such reforms, he added, would transform cemeteries into spaces for reflection, environmental restoration, and community interaction while preserving their spiritual significance.
The vice chancellor of the university, represented by Prof Pic Onwochei, commended the lecture for broadening perspectives on urban design and environmental planning.
He noted that the lecture underscored the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, stressing that no field of study holds a monopoly on knowledge.
“Perhaps we should begin to engage those responsible for policy implementation to help reshape the narrative, particularly in terms of how such spaces are designed and perceived.” he said
Prof. Samuel Waper, who described the presentation as a timely intervention, urging greater attention to often-overlooked environmental spaces that shape human experience and cultural identity.