Residential coexistence: Anonymity, etiquette and proximity in high-rise living

Abstract

This paper offers a new perspective on everyday life in an ethno-nationally mixed vertical urban setting. It focuses on the cultivation of a shared residential identity that, seemingly, can overcome the binational divide. Drawing on interviews with Jewish and Arab residents in a new middle-class high-rise complex (HRC) in Haifa, Israel, we illustrate that Arabs and Jews share many reasons for living in the HRC, reflecting similarities between these populations that are often ignored. Moreover, the physical form of the complex – including its newness and its modern, universal design – makes it a relatively neutral space free from a particular ethno-national or religious identity. Finally, while the relevant literature largely assumes that ‘anonymity’ in high-rises is a negative force, the sense of privacy it affords allows residents to manage social proximity and cultivate a philosophy of ‘live and let live’.