Between normative product-oriented and alternative process-oriented urban planning praxis: how can these jointly impact on the rapid development of metropolitan Maputo, Mozambique?

ABSTRACT

This paper explores recent urban planning praxis in the metropolitan area of Maputo, capital of Mozambique – occurring in a context of high socio-spatial imbalance and rapid expansion. This involves different agents besides government institutions, at different stages. Based on relevant critical literature, the authors identify both a normative praxis, usually regulatory and product-oriented, and an alternative one, usually process-oriented, in urban development. In Maputo, the former is predominantly that which is regarded as ‘official’ and is linked to land titling, whereas the latter is closer to what actually happens ‘on the ground’ and often involves ‘unofficial’ land allocation. In reality both forms of praxis interact in complex ways. The paper draws on recent research and aims to better understand how these forms of urban planning praxis can both be developed to better address existing socio-spatial imbalances in a context of rapid urbanization – and hence has wider relevance for Sub-Saharan Africa.

KEYWORDS:

• Urban planning
• normative approaches
• alternative approaches
• Maputo
• Mozambique

Acknowledgement

The authors of the paper want to sincerely thank Dr. Domingos Maculule of the Eduardo Mondlane University Faculty of Architecture & Physical Planning for his important collaboration to the field research in Maputo.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 These designations are usually associated with negative connotations that tend to obscure the social legitimacy of these areas and their potential, arguably increasing the vulnerability of a great number of residents – often through physical exclusion (e.g. resettlement programmes) or economic exclusion (gentrification) – as pointed out by several authors (e.g. Gilbert 2007; Groenewald et al. 2013; Huchzermeyer 2011; Jenkins 2004; Myers 2011).

2 This fieldwork was developed in the scope of a research project undertaken by the authors, based in the School of Architecture & Planning (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg), focussed on the ‘Urban transformations with the growth of middle classes in African cities, through a case study of Maputo, Mozambique’.

3 These measures were discussed and promoted during the III Frelimo Congress, in 1977, and in the I National Meeting about Communal Cities and Neighbourhoods, in 1979, and included initiatives such as support to housing cooperatives and self-help housing, as well as grassroots participation in basic infrastructure upgrading.

4 Land nationalization was also one of the main measures undertaken after independence (First Land Law n.° 6/1979) to counter socio-spatial imbalances - and still prevails today under the Land Law in force (Law-Decree n.° 19/1997). At the same time, and with the same aim, rented and abandoned housing was also nationalized (Law-Decree n.° 5/1976).

5 This strategy focussed on land at the (then) periphery of the peri-urban areas and integrated existing land occupiers through the post-implementation plot allocation process. A series of individual land layout plans were developed using a block system (also conforming to 50 block urban quarters), permitting topographers some discretion in demarcating plots to avoid demolitions of existing housing. More details in Jenkins 2001a, 2001b.

6 Usually this was undertaken by city council topographers on their weekends, working with the local political administrative structures, but see also Nielsen (2010) for adaptation of official plans at local level.

7 For more information about the urban development of the city since the colonial period to the present day, also linked to urban planning, see also Raposo et al. (2012), Jenkins (2013), Jorge (2017) and Melo (2013, 2015).

8 There is no information about the de facto territorial impact of the first PUPs approved.

9 The Partial Urbanization Plans of Albazine, Ferroviário, Laulane, Magoanine A, B and C, Mahotas, Zimpeto and 3 de Fevereiro (Maputo Municipal Council 2010) – all originally planned in the Basic Urbanization Programme of 1980-87.

10 The mass regularization process of Maputo municipality was developed under the ten-year PROMAPUTO programme, which began in 2007 and was primarily financed by the World Bank.

11 Nativos is a local expression used in Maputo to designate those who were originally born in a place and/or have lived there for many years.

12 One of the first areas where this type of process was observed, in the early 1990s, was in Laulane neighbourhood, in an area previously occupied by an anti-aerial defence battalion.

13 Consolidated areas are considered to be those peri-urban areas closer to the city centre, which have been occupied for a longer period and that over time have somewhat stabilized their urban structure and main built up areas, evidencing great construction/occupation densities.

14 This intervention was developed by the municipality, in coordination with the NGO Mozambican Association for Concerted Development - AMDEC, funded by the World Bank.

15 This involved the municipality, in partnership with Brazilian and Italian entities and the Cities Alliance.

16 The UK Department for International Development DFID, and the Netherlands Directorate General for International Cooperation DGIS funded this initiative.

17 Developed by the NGO Architects Without Borders from Catalonia, in partnership with CEDH and with the support of the Italian Cooperation Agency for Development and the Municipal Council of Barcelona.

18 This involved the University Eduardo Mondlane and the University of Corunha.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by a University of Witwatersrand Research Committee Post-Doctoral Research Grant; Research Funding from the School of Architecture & Planning (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg).