Greek cities took on their present form during the years of post-war reconstruction. The social conditions of the time dictated the development of city centres. The polykatoikia (i.e. apartment building) of the antiparochi system provided a solution to the housing needs of the ever-growing population. The functional layout of the new dwellings focused on the needs of the nuclear family model. The image of the Greek city, characterised by micro-scale and the repetition of mundane individual elements, testifies to the dominance of the private sector over public space. In recent years, the ability of post-war housing to meet the current and future needs of the population has been called into question. New facts have interrupted the evolution of this development model. These relate to the social changes of recent years, the impact of the economic crisis and the problem of climate change. In addition, the inevitable ageing of post-war buildings requires their replacement or radical renovation. It is no coincidence that some people are already talking about the ‘death’ of multi-storey buildings.