Largo da Peça in Benguela (Angola) and the Municipal Market in São Tomé (Sao Tomé and Príncipe): The Production of Public Spaces in Portuguese Colonial Cities

Abstract

African cities face complex dilemmas and transformation processes, related to social, environmental, and political-economic dimensions, these affect the quality of life of their citizens. Public spaces are one important indicator of urban quality of life and an essential tool for spatial planning and land-use management. They are a symbol of collective power and the link between citizens and government, as here publicness is practised and experienced. This contribution aims to provide insights into how public spaces in Angola and Sao Tomé and Principe that have been neglected by the governments are still places of socialisation and interaction. The cities of Benguela and São Tomé share common historical paths; created during the Portuguese colonial time, they became the centre of their regions. We take a public space in each city to discuss the usability and from this to address the potential and development challenges. The two cases are the Largo da Peça (Angola), whose name was taken from a cannon placed here in 1846. The cannon is a reminder of the Portuguese defence against the attacks of the native people. The second case refers to the surroundings of the Municipal Market Hall in the city of São Tomé (Sao Tomé and Príncipe). The Market Hall is one of the first modernist projects in the art deco architectural style built in the small insular country. Backed by documentary research and field observations this study provides insights on the current use of public spaces and the challenges public space development face in post-colonial African cities. The analysis suggests that although the lack of an effective public policy for public space management and development, both spaces have become places of collective interaction.