Xilunguine, Lourenco, Marques, Maputo - structure and agency in urban form : past, present and future

Abstract

This paper initially briefly reviews different approaches to urban studies in African urban areas as an introduction to the intention in establishing a link between an understanding of the social significance of the city and the political economic structures which largely produce urban form. The focus is Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, which previously was called Lourenço Marques (under colonialism) and Xilunguine in XiRonga, the language of the historic local inhabitants of the surrounding region. The paper reviews the city centre’s history as a backdrop to understanding more recent developments, discussing how changes in the wider political economy of the city are reflected in urban form, yet arguing for an enhanced role of social and cultural agency in challenging the constraints of such parameters – where architects and planners can play a key role.