Ambiguities of vertical multi-ethnic coexistence in the city of Athens: Living together but unequally between conflicts and encounters

This chapter explores the vertical multi-ethnic coexistence or the socio-spatial dynamics of segregation and social mix in the same building, a residential apartment building in Athens, Greece. Over the last 25 years, Athens has become increasingly ethnically diverse. Athens is characterised by low levels of spatial segregation and high levels of ethnic mix both at the neighbourhood level and within residential buildings. However, living together does not mean that inequality disappears. Indeed, on closer inspection, in Athens, vertical social differentiation within buildings seems to offer an alternative to neighbourhood-level segregation, with quite a strong correlation between ethnicity and floor of residence. The chapter then considers the link between diversity and inequality, since this link is missing all too often from urban analysis.