Year: 2018

With competition for new students rising at U.S. colleges and universities, extravagant campus amenities are booming in an effort aimed at drawing tuition-paying prospects.

But lazy rivers, bowling centers and movie theaters with free popcorn aren’t as widespread at institutions that rely on state funding, which are grappling with reductions in government contributions. Instead, many schools have focused on partnering with the private sector and startups, says Kevin Wayer, President of JLL’s Public Sector and Higher Education business.

“University-led development has to distinguish between what’s worth spending money on, and what’s a gimmick,” says Wayer. “It has to be an investment for the future.” …

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Placemaking and build to rent (BTR) are two of the industry’s most talked-about trends, but are we really doing enough to recognise the natural bedfellows these two can make?

There’s been a lot of discussion about how to create strong communities in BTR buildings, whether through the provision of inviting communal areas, workspaces, amenities, or active residents’ organisations. But to focus on BTR schemes in isolation would be to miss the wider role that this fast-developing asset class can play in community-making, both for BTR residents but also within larger developments. The opportunity of BTR is not just about a new product, it is about its use as a new lever to unlock complex brownfield sites for housing.

It’s no secret that delivering brownfield urban regeneration is costly and time-consuming. Land assembly, tackling contamination and delivering necessary infrastructure are among the key barriers to providing homes in cities and towns at the scale and pace we need. However, brownfield development is integral to helping us tackle the housing shortage …

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The number of students seeking mental health support while studying at university has increased by more than 50% in five years, analysis suggests.

The BBC asked universities across the UK for the numbers of students seeking some form of support.

The National Union of Students said young people were under increasing pressure to perform …

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Co-living is becoming one of the most sought-after asset classes in Germany as investors tap into popular demand for high-tech accommodation in some of the country’s most burgeoning cities.

As a term, co-living is very broad, because ‘it can encompass anything from student accommodation/WGs to flats with amenities for young professionals and aspiring entrepreneurs’, Dr. Jan Linsin, head of research Northern Cluster at C&W in Germany …

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JLL’s 2018 update looks at the student housing partnerships between universities and private – sector operators in the UK and follows on from the 2016 report and 2017 update …

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Evans Property Group has appointed Deloitte Real Estate to sell the remaining student accommodation assets it holds at York University’s £750m Heslington East Campus.

Evans has sold its 50% stake in Constantine College accommodation back to the university and is now seeking to dispose of the two remaining colleges, comprising of 1,240 beds, on the open market.

The buildings were developed in joint venture by Evans and York University in 2014 as part of plans to double the university’s size through a £750m campus extension. All three blocks are owned in equal share by Evans and the university, with Evans selling its interest in Constantine College at a twenty-times multiple to development cost …

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BaseCamp began as a response to the lack of interior design-led student housing across Europe. Founder and CEO Armon Bar-Tur envisioned a merging of American community-focused living and European aesthetics with interior design and amenities. The first location, opened in the heart of Copenhagen in 2016, is situated in a historical building – formerly the living quarters of the Danish Royal Guards – so structural renovation was limited.

The latest location is in the west German city of Leipzig, close to the University of Leipzig, and here BaseCamp could build the space from the scratch. They enlisted Berlin-based industrial designers Studio Aisslinger for the interior that includes amenities such as a gym, laundry room, and cinema. The studio has created multi-functional and streamlined living spaces that cleverly incorporate built-in storage. The style is kept modern with splashes of colour in key areas, while remaining minimalist at the same time to produce calming and cosy private spaces that equally encourage community-oriented activity …

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Intu, the shopping centre giant in the midst of its second takeover bid in less than a year, is set to enter the private rented sector (PRS) market in an attempt to create additional value from land around some of its malls …

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Apache Capital Partners has sold a student accommodation block in Cambridge to Cambridgeshire County Council for £38m.

The deal for the 251-bed Brunswick House reflects a net initial yield of 4.76%, a record in the UK for a direct-let asset student accommodation outside London and the M25 …

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A surge in the number of first-class degrees awarded at university has led the government to bring in measures to tackle so-called grade inflation.

Figures suggest that degrees are being “marked up”, meaning students are leaving with a higher grade than a comparable student in previous years.

More than a quarter of students now graduate with a first-class degree …

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