Ticketing and more information will be posted soon.
Our workshops are designed for people who want to develop small-scale, financially viable real estate projects that strengthen their communities. Whether you're a first-time builder, a neighborhood leader, or a city staffer looking to support local development, our training will give you the tools to take action.
The Small Scale Development Workshop is all about project formation. We take a big picture view of neighborhood-based development to help attendees analyze what makes a good project, how a building makes money, and how small developers interact with the broader ecosystem of professionals in the built environment.
By the end of the Workshop, aspiring developers will feel more prepared to take the first steps on their own project and other neighborhood stakeholders will gain a deeper understanding of how they can support them.
SCHOLARSHIPS
The Scholarship application window is open through September 11, 2026. Scholarship application will be posted soon.
DATES:
Exact times TBD
Tuesday, October 6, evening
Tuesday, October 13, evening
Tuesday, October 20, evening
Tuesday, October 27, evening
REGISTRATION
Early Bird Registration Rate ($100) - open through September 4, 2026
Regular Registration Rate ($125) - open through September 25, 2026
Last Minute Registration Rate ($150) - open through October 6, 2026
Members receive a 20% discount for this workshop! See the IncDev Membership portal for details. Not a Member yet? Join today. More details are available here.
COURSE OVERVIEW
Session 1: Tuesday, October 6
Power of the Incremental Approach | Incrementalism is best paired with time. By rooting in a neighborhood, building relationships and making many small improvements over time, a small developer can build wealth in their community.
Business Models and Skill Sets | What kind of projects are you interested doing? How will that be structured? What skills do you have and whose help do you need?
Right-Sizing Your Project | By evaluating zoning, financing tools, and building codes, a project can conform to systemic thresholds that control costs and minimize risk.
Session 2: Tuesday, October 13
Building Arts 101 | A small developer who understands architecture, urban design and planning fundamentals can create more value with their project while contributing to the health, safety, and welfare of their community.
Market Research & Site Selection | Finding the right site or building as the critical first step to any development project. Understand how to establish a baseline range for the rents, sales and other variables in your neighborhood and pay the right price for property.
Zoning | Understand the key regulatory basics that shape a project’s physical form and the typical processes that govern what is allowed by-right versus with special permission.
Session 3: Tuesday, October 20
Project Pro formas | Get familiar with a financial pro forma template and the important concepts, key terms, and industry jargon that show how a building makes money.
Hands-on Site Planning and Pro forma Activity | Apply everything learned so far in the day to layout a building on a site by following a sample zoning code and then filling out a project pro forma to see how the project performs financially under many conditions.
Session 4: Tuesday, October 27
Hands-on Site Planning and Pro Forma Activity (continued)
Financing a Project | A great project needs a great plan for obtaining permanent mortgages and construction/renovation loans. To get there, a small developer will need a written financial package and a verbal pitch to present to a bank and/or private investor.
Buying a Property | A basic overview of the process for purchasing property and the elements of the crucially important due diligence process.
Wrap-Up | Q&A and Next Steps
Contact
For more information contact training@incrementaldevelopment.org · (479) 305-4807