The Portuguese urbanism is characterised by a set of urban principles and processes of conception and implementation, shaped through various contexts and geographies, conveying a consortium of urban ideas under which the common identity of the "Portuguese city" has been constructed. The historical analysis of the development of the Mozambican capital, Maputo, and of the Portuguese urbanism present in it since its genesis, seeks to understand in what consisted this urbanism in African context, as well as the meaning and the present and future role of this heritage. Currently in Maputo, predominate diverse and extensive semiurbanized areas without adequate living conditions, inhabited by the majority of the population, generally low income, which show little evidence of the Portuguese urbanism influence, still present in the urbanized centre. Given the socioeconomic, cultural and politic particularities of this city, this urbanism proves to be out of context and unsuitable, manly regarding the specificities and problems of its semiurbanized areas, to which is necessary a new urban model. Some of its principles and processes could contribute to the search of such model, but its present and future role assumes greater significance in terms of memory and culture, giving a unique identity to Maputo, only present in other Lusophone cities in Southern Africa. Yet, the permanence of this heritage becomes uncertain, given the growing number of interventions developed in the current globalization context and dominant neoliberal economy, which break with its logics at the hands of a multiplicity of actors, conveyers of varied influences, Lusophone or not.
Portuguese urbanism; Maputo; Semiurbanized areas; Urbanized centre; Urban development actors