Maputo is a young capital city in south-eastern Africa with a socio-spatial polarisation imprinted in its network, and where the sphere of urban life is dominated by hybridisation and informality. The fabric of the city and its internal functioning have a greater degree of complexity than is apparent at first sight, and this, together with international influences, market pressures and a lack of basic resources, hinders the management and positive transformation of the city. While bearing in

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... d the common denominators of urban Africa, we should not ignore the specific historical, political-economic and socio-cultural factors of each territory which determine a way of living and of creating each city. Within the urbanity of Maputo there is the collective space, which is central to an understanding of the survival strategies and specific forms of social interaction of the critical mass of the population. These living spaces are the source of multiple urban sinergies, and need to be integrated into our way of thinking about the city, in favour of a juster, more inclusive community life, while, at the same time, not ignoring diversity and ongoing change.