Small Bites is a virtual training series delivering relevant and valuable tools on the implementation of small-scale development. Led by our diverse faculty, they’ll offer expertise drawn from real-life experiences. These one-hour “bite size” sessions are for people of all skill levels, from small-scale developers and local advocates, to policymakers. An opportunity to ask questions is included at the end of each session.
Time advertised is Central Time.
Buy What’s Possible, Not What’s Available. Vetting Small Infill Sites Before You Make an Offer.
Presented by Mark Savic and Mason McIntosh of Bucky
Most developers don’t lose deals because the numbers didn’t work. They lose them because they found out too late. A setback nobody checked, a parking minimum buried in an overlay, a lot that looked buildable on the listing but wasn’t. Meanwhile, the best sites in town often never hit the market: the underused parking lot, the oversized backyard, or the corner parcel that just got upzoned.
The result is that small developers buy what is available instead of what is possible.
In this session, Mason McIntosh and Mark Savic of Bucky will walk through a repeatable method for answering the first question on every project, “what should I build here?”, in minutes instead of weeks. Drawing on more than 100 feasibility studies across 10+ cities in USA and Canada, they’ll show how to pull together the public information that matters (parcel data, zoning, overlays, recent approvals) and turn it into a clear yes, no, or maybe before you spend money on design or an offer.
You’ll leave with a simple framework you can apply with the right tools, and you’ll see how AI can speed up the work without replacing your judgment, as long as every answer traces back to a source.
In this session Mason and Mark will cover:
Why the first two weeks of a project decide most of its risk
Find the public data that actually answers “what can I build?” and “what should I build?”
A five-step site screen: ground the site, frame the objective, test the envelope, check the pathway, decide
Reading zoning for what it allows, not just what it says: overlays, parking, and recent reforms
Finding off-market infill: parking lots, underused parcels, and newly upzoned land
Using AI responsibly: how to check sources and avoid confident wrong answers
Live walk-through: screening a real small-scale site from address to decision
ABOUT THE PRESENTER
Mark Savic and Mason McIntosh of Bucky
Mark Savic is the Co-founder and CTO of Bucky, where he is building modern planning tools that help Canadian building professionals. Before Bucky, Mark was a Senior Consultant and Solution Architect, advising across Private Equity, Healthcare, all levels of government, and financial institutions. His work spanned complex system integrations, product development, and technology due diligence across industries and across North America, Europe, Asia and Oceania. At Bucky, Mark leads product architecture and engineering. He focuses on turning institutional-grade technology into tools that are simple, trustworthy, and necessary, especially in an AEC industry that is fragmented, opaque, and hard to navigate. His goal is to ensure every feature combines rigorous system design with a clear, human experience.
Mason's is the Co-founder and CEO of Bucky, experience is in designing and delivering multi-scale construction projects across Canada, with deep expertise in Revit, BIM, computational design, and AI. His past work was focused on implementing automation, process optimization, and sustainable building workflows, for enterprise clients around the world. At Bucky, Mason leads sales, partnerships, and go-to-market, working directly with designers, builders, real estate agents, brokers, and municipalities to understand their workflows and build the automations they need. He brings 10+ years of AEC industry experience to every conversation, ensuring that every step of the platform is grounded in how real projects actually get done.
REGISTRATION
Small Bites sessions are a complimentary membership benefit for members.
Non-members can register for each session for $25 per ticket.
Recordings will be sent to those who register following the session. This event will be held in Central Time. Details will be sent to attendees upon registration.
Contact
For any questions, message us at training@incrementaldevelopment.org.