Small Scale Development Workshop
Learn how to start small and build smart.
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.
This training is all about project formation. Expect to be taken through the steps from a neighborhood-based developer’s perspective and learn what it takes to:
analyze what makes a good project
understand how a building makes money
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.
Upcoming Workshops
We host workshops across the country in partnership with local organizations. Find an upcoming session near you below—or join our newsletter to be the first to know when new dates are announced.
Not finding an in-person workshop near you? Scroll to the bottom of this page to learn how to bring one local.
Bring a Workshop to My City
Want to spark small-scale development where you live? We partner with cities, nonprofits, and community groups who are motivated to start these conversations and catalyze a network of real estate ecosystem partners.
These local hosts subsidize the costs to bring our pop-up classrooms with industry expert faculty and engaging and credible curriculum, so people from all walks of life can attend this program.
Past hosts include:
Governments: City of Sacramento, City of Greensboro, NC, City of Atlanta/Invest Atlanta, City of Albuquerque, Michigan State Housing Development Authority, Nebraska Investment Finance Authority
Foundations: Knight Foundation, Kresge Foundation, Walton Family Foundation, Lyndhurst Foundation
Non-Profits: Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Indy, Urban Land Institute (ULI) Northwest Arkansas, Southern Indiana Development Commission, Memphis Medical District, Kettering University - Flint, Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise
Corporate Sponsors: JamesHardie
Contact us to learn how you can bring a workshop to your area and grow the next generation of local developers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can i expect to get out of a workshop?
Get a big picture view of small scale real estate development and the value it provides in a community
Understand how a building makes money and how to analyze what kind of building your local market will support
Learn the first steps in formulating your own project and how to get started as a developer with little to no resources
Learn how to read and interpret zoning to see what and where you can build
Discover where you need help filling the gaps in your skills and expertise
Meet people who can help you
WHAT HAPPENS AT THE WORKSHOPS?
Personal skills assessment to identify gaps in expertise
An example exercise, walking through a development project
Presentations on: finance, zoning, strategy
WHO ARE THE WORKSHOPS FOR?
Individuals in construction, design, planning or real estate looking to either enhance their current practice or make a career transition
Volunteers or professionals in business associations, main street associations, historic preservation groups and neighborhood improvement groups looking to champion incremental development in their communities
Public sector professionals in city management, economic development, planning, and related agencies who are looking to make it easier for small development projects to occur in their town
Professionals in non-profit development organizations, churches, and community or housing development organizations who need new strategies for small lot development
Private banking professionals specializing in mortgages, commercial real estate loans or SBA loans and professionals at Community Development Financial Institutions and Community Foundations who want to become more effective investors
