Our most beloved cities were built incrementally—house by house, block by block. Today, regulatory barriers too often block the small-scale development our communities need. For over 30 years, the Institute for Justice (IJ) has fought at the intersection of litigation, legislation, and grassroots organizing to restore the freedom to build and grow organically.

Presented by Bob Belden, Trisha Dey, and Zoe Tishaev

This Workshop on small scale real estate development 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.

Rich Rogers explores how investment crowdfunding fills critical gaps in real estate capital stacks. Through practical examples, learn how both for-profit and nonprofit developers structure offerings to fund challenging project phases—from predevelopment to tax credit monetization—while reducing costs compared to traditional financing.

Presented by Rich Rogers

Krista Nightengale will share how Better Block transforms neighborhoods through tactical urbanism, not massive budgets. She will demonstrate how temporary interventions—paint, planters, pop-up installations—help communities and officials envision vibrant public spaces, building momentum for lasting change through grassroots collaboration.

Presented by Krista Nightengale

What makes a block, a street, or a plaza feel timeless, vibrant, and enduring? Great places share universal building blocks that have shaped successful communities for centuries. This session introduces incremental developers to essential elements of urbanism, helping translate conceptual design ideas into actionable strategies that enhance both community and financial value.

Presented by Will McCollum

Why do some neighborhood projects flourish while others fail before they even break ground? The answer isn't in your business plan or financing—it's right outside your front door.

Join us for a free bar talk with Jon Jon the Happy Urbanist.

Do you want to learn more about how you can become a small real estate developer for a project in your neighborhood?  Are you an advocate or local leader looking to encourage better buildings in your community?

Join us for a lecture by Elizabeth Ward Williams, IncDev Faculty Member and Director of Urban Design at Kronberg Urbanists + Architects.

Jim Heid will discuss his award-winning Cottage Court project, achieved through thought partnership, not rezoning.  He will explain how community context helped him enlist elected officials, planning and public works staff as collaborators in creating what the community wanted, not what code dictated. 

Presented by Jim Heid

Do you want to learn more about how you can become a small real estate developer for a project in your neighborhood?  Are you an advocate or local leader looking to encourage better buildings in your community?

Join us for a morning seminar by Neil Heller, Faculty Member at IncDev Alliance and Principal of Neighborhood Workshop. In the afternoon expect case studies and additional focus-tracks grounded in the types of development envisioned for Fairbanks’ future.

Created for real-world use and rooted in patterns that already exist in Maine towns, the Maine’s PlaceCode Library offers a calibrated approach to zoning reform. Ivy will share how communities are applying this tool, what challenges it helps solve, and how practitioners can get trained to use it effectively.

Presented by Ivy Vann

Do you want to learn more about how you can become a small real estate developer for a project in your neighborhood?  Are you an advocate or local leader looking to encourage better buildings in your community?

Join us for a lecture by Tiffany Elder, Faculty Member at IncDev Alliance and owner of Paradigm Properties, a real estate brokerage firm, and Paradigm Construction, a design-build construction firm.

Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) are powerful tools for addressing disinvestment and building stronger, more equitable communities. Whether you’re a new or experienced developer, understanding how to work with a CDFI can unlock critical financing for your affordable housing, mixed-income, or mixed-use project. In this session, ANDP, a U.S. Treasury-certified CDFI based in Atlanta, and Incremental Development Alliance (IDA) Faculty will walk you through what it takes to prepare your organization and your project to access CDFI funding.

Presented by Sara Haas and Eric Kronberg

Do you want to learn more about how you can become a small real estate developer for a project in your neighborhood?  Are you an advocate or local leader looking to encourage better buildings in your community?

Join us for a lecture, discussion and Q&A by Eric Kronberg, Faculty Member at IncDev Alliance and Principal of Kronberg U+A.

Your project looks finanicially promising. So how will it repay investors, and when? How long before you can liberate your equity to take on a new project? This session will help you make sense of the Multi-Year Cash Flow, a common tool for forecasting how your project will perform over time.

Presented by Jennifer Krouse

Exploring the ideas that shape community development. Join fellow community builders for an engaging exploration of how geography, culture, and economics intersect in place-based development.

Facilitated by Ryan Terry

When does a small project become a big regulatory headache? In this Small Bites session, we’ll unpack the development “triggers” that can add complexity, cost, or delay to your project. From subdivision and zoning ordinances to stormwater rules, fire and building codes, and even how finance and market expectations influence your path—this conversation will help you spot the thresholds that matter most and navigate these pivotal points to avoid common missteps.

Presented by Elizabeth Ward Williams

What makes a pocket neighborhood truly work? In this one-hour session, Ross Chapin—the architect who literally wrote the book on pocket neighborhoods—will break down the essential design features that define a successful project. Drawing on over three decades of experience, he’ll share practical insights to help developers and architects create housing that fosters connection among residents, earns acceptance from surrounding neighbors, and leads to long-term financial viability.

Presented by Ross Chapin

Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) are powerful tools for addressing disinvestment and building stronger, more equitable communities. Whether you’re a new or experienced developer, understanding how to work with a CDFI can unlock critical financing for your affordable housing, mixed-income, or mixed-use project. In this session, ANDP, a U.S. Treasury-certified CDFI based in Atlanta, and Incremental Development Alliance (IDA) Faculty will walk you through what it takes to prepare your organization and your project to access CDFI funding.

Presented by Sara Haas and Eric Kronberg

Historic properties are some of the most charming and well-performing projects, but they come with challenges. Understanding the different levels of historic preservation and incentives can be difficult, especially when assessing a potential project. In this talk we’ll cover the basics of historic preservation at each level including local, state, and federal regulations and what they mean to a project

Presented by Ivan Gonzalez

This Workshop on small scale real estate development 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.

Join us for an in-depth exploration of the “Yes in God’s Backyard” (YIGBY) pilot program, a faith-based initiative aimed at addressing the growing need for attainable housing in Midwest communities. This session will showcase the development of a YIGBY pilot in Michigan, offering an inside look at how faith-based organizations, local governments, and community stakeholders are coming together to reimagine the use of church-owned land as a platform for housing solutions.

Presented by Jenifer Acosta

This Workshop on small scale real estate development 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.

This session will cover the history and unique functions of land banks and how to evaluate if a land bank is right for your community. Participants will hear about land banks of various sizes and geographies that have built partnerships to support affordable housing, uplift racial equity, and address community priorities.

Presented by Brian Larkin

This session will give a brief overview of a 2024 county-wide (Van Buren) housing study in SW Michigan. Then expect a deeper review of a Housing Strategic Plan with implementation or action items. This study may be especially of interest to aspiring and practicing small scale developers living in Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, and Holland.

Presented by Sharon Woods and Carmine Avantini

Do you want to learn more about how you can become a small real estate developer for a project in your neighborhood?  Are you an advocate or local leader looking to encourage better buildings in your community?

Join us for a lecture and happy hour celebrating projects, policies, and people that have created a healthier environment for small-scale developers, offering inspiration for how you can implement similar improvements within your own community. Bring your questions for our interactive Q&A and connect with attendees afterward.

Managing environmental liability is certainly not the most thrilling part of a redevelopment success, but if not incorporated into the project from the very beginning, this critical element may hamstring your project before you get started.  This Small Bites topic will highlight common environmental issues confronted in small site redevelopment.

Presented by Chris Harrell

Starting in 2025, Small Bites sessions are a membership benefit for Associate and Charter Members. Become a member today!