THE CLASS CONFERENCE 2018 HIGHLIGHTS | THE PLAN
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THE CLASS CONFERENCE 2018 HIGHLIGHTS

THE CLASS CONFERENCE 2018 HIGHLIGHTS | THE PLAN
By Editorial Staff -

The Class Conference 2018 was held in Milan on November 15. Organized by The Class of 2020, the event has seen several international speakers who shared their vision on student housing. Here below are a few highlights.
- Universities are the spark to creating local and regional innovation ecosystems says Julie Wagner. The re-make of the urban campus at the heart of the city is the ultimate mash-up of living, working and learning - in new hybrid typologies.
- Education is a key anchor for large-scale complex urban area developments, according to Vincent Rouget. For PBSA the easy times are over, so value creation through product development and a strong focus on operations is key.
- Alternatives underpinned by a long-term structural trend are increasingly attractive. The Conference reports a pipeline in Europe now accounting for 350 projects & 105,000 beds, with a focus on Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Hamburg and Vienna.
- Students bring a lot to cities like London, Rotterdam and Milan. The Urban Campus panel discussed how to develop these petri-dishes for innovation and why the European Investment Bank believes in funding university development.
- Milan could double its international student population. The Milano Urban Campus Advisory Project, presented to Deputy Mayor Maran, outlined a unique opportunity to bring 300 million euros worth of economic impact and 4,500 new jobs to Milan. This requires a rapid increase of both the number of English-taught programs and the provision/quality of housing for international students.
- Student wellbeing was all over The Class Conference 2018 and we are happy to report that the stigma around mental health is shifting. We must continue to talk openly about this, as it is okay to not be okay!
- Students lead the way when it comes to housing preferences! We are thankful to all students that joined our Campfire Chat. Building community is imperative.
- The inspiring co-revolution panel highlighted how quickly co-living and co-working typologies are blending. The blurred lines around PBSA result in new conceptions of space and place.
- The Global Outlook panel discussion underlined the potential of PBSA investments across global markets. Mobility trends are now quickly shaping demand in markets like Mexico, India, South Africa, Colombia.
- With 650 attendees coming from 27+ countries, strong presence of the higher education industry and the many students involved, the 2018 European The Class Conference was bigger and better than ever before.

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