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IncDev National Field Trip | Portland, OR


  • Portland, OR United States (map)

Join Incremental Development Alliance for our Fall 2025 National Field Trip in Portland, Oregon! 

What Makes Portland Special for Small-Scale Developers

Portland has become America's laboratory for innovative small-scale housing development. The city combines the most permissive zoning in the country with a culture that embraces creative housing solutions, creating unique opportunities for developers focused on community impact alongside financial returns.

Key Advantages:

  • Policy Leadership - Most permissive ADU, middle housing, and tiny house zoning in the US. Projects appear here first!

  • Cultural Acceptance - Market embraces unusual housing types and innovative DIY expansion designs like it does local restaurants and the arts scene. 

  • Developer Community - Collaborative ecosystem of peers focused on "return on community" not just profit.

  • Urban Foundation - Historic streetcar neighborhoods with walkable density and transit infrastructure.

  • Visible Impact - Advocacy at all levels creates concrete examples that prove what zoning reform can achieve.

  • Market Opportunity - High housing demand with land values that still allow creative small-scale, financially viable solutions.

What to Expect:

We will be hosting an inspiring weekend exploring the best examples of adaptive reuse, infill development, and historic renovations across different neighborhoods throughout the city.

Get the behind-the-scenes story of how these projects came to life — challenges overcome and creative wins from successful small developers. Connect with IncDev Faculty, alumni, and supporters while building relationships with others in your ecosystem.

The weekend kicks off with a FREE public lecture on Thursday evening, followed by two full days of guided tours showcasing the region's most innovative small-scale development projects.

Take a look at the IncDev Field Guide: NWA Spring 2025 and peek Jon Jon The Happy Urbanist’s video to get a sense of the experience.

Who Its For:

This event is exclusively for Associate and Charter Members. Not a Member yet? Learn more and join today!

IncDev National Field Trip - Portland Steering Committee

A cohort of Portland’s most influential and active housing developers, urbanists, and policy advocates focused on small-scale infill development and affordable housing solutions are shaping this field trip. We thank the following people for their guidance and contributions:

Sponsorship and Partnership Opportunities

We invite sponsors and partners to support this effort to offer an exceptional experience for participants while keeping costs down. Become a sponsor and help create an experience that will offer ripples of knowledge and inspiration for development across the country. As a sponsor, you will connect directly with local and national developers, investors and civic leaders and support a proven method of neighborhood revitalization. Learn more HERE.

Details

REGISTRATION

Contact

Chloe Chapman training@incrementaldevelopment.org · (479) 305-4807