Estate Living Magazine Smart Moves - Issue 38 February 2019 | Page 19

P R O P E R T Y
&
I N V E S T M E N T
part by the economies of scale that make utilities like fibre
internet connections more readily available. And – face it –
if you’re going to pay a small fortune for a student flat, you’ll
insist that your landlord at least installs fibre-based internet.
SAY GOODBYE TO GENDERED DORMS
Madison Place
As international big businesses experiment with gender-
neutral workplace restrooms, the global world of academia
(and its associated student living arrangements) is now also
exploring the implications of gender fluidity. Or, to put it
simply: ‘The exclusive male and female dorm communities
are becoming scarce.’ That’s according to Jason Wills,
Senior Vice President at American Campus Communities.
In a recent opinion piece published by the United States’
National Apartment Association, Wills wrote: ‘Students and
universities now expect gender inclusivity. This means co-
ed residential floors, units and sometimes even bathrooms,
which are designed as fully secured toilet and shower
areas with communal vanity spaces. At today’s universities,
especially in urban markets, there are many options to
accommodate various levels of privacy expectations.’
While non-gendered spaces contribute to breaking the
patterns that perpetuate gender stereotypes, it may take
a while for us to catch up with the rest of the world. With
our unacceptably high level of gender-based and sexual
violence, many women – and their parents – may prefer the
safety of single-sex residences, in the same way that some
women who travel for business choose women-only floors
in hotels. There’s no easy answer to this one.
T