Strategies of Urban Inclusion in the Imagined Modern Luanda

Luanda, the capital of Angola, has recently been subjected to
extraordinary changes, supported by increased wealth and investments associated with the end of the war. The ideas of modernity that clearly stand out
are deeply rooted in the city’s configuration and reconfiguration over the
years. They inform not only the modernising perspectives and philosophy
of policymakers and investors but also those of the urban dwellers. Often,
however, the imagined modernity and its benefits do not match the lived
realities. This chapter makes reference to the evolution of the city, emphasising the differences between main periods and identifying the underlining
strategies in terms of inclusions and exclusions. The conclusions presented,
based on empirical and documentary research, point to shifting strategies of
urban inclusion and changing categories of the excluded.