What next?
Small-Scale Development 101
A real-talk introduction to the world of property development with practical entry points for regular people.
What can you do with what you already have? Vacant lots, existing buildings, solid neighbors, skilled tradespeople, local businesses, and a love for home - these are the ingredients of incremental development. In this workshop, we’ll analyze what makes a good project and how small developers interact with the broader ecosystem of professionals in the built environment. By the end of the course, aspiring developers will feel more prepared to take the first steps on their own project and city champions will see inside the black box of real estate transactions.
Join us in September!
We’re redeveloping our flagship training program (the Small Developer Workshop) into an online experience. If you would like to join a Strong Towns cohort this fall, reserve your spot here.
The Dirty Dozen (Webinar)
Administrative Contamination to Incremental Development
"This is the most valuable 30 min a person can spend to understand what's stopping small development in their city."
Noah Demerest, Principal + CEO, STREAM COLLABORATIVE, Ithaca, NY
An intro to 12 common barriers to small-scale development we find within code or administrative process. When cities ask us to help them identify regulatory barriers, these are the first places we look.
If you are a small-scale developer, these 12 are a checklist of "gotchas" you need to look out for. If you are a champion for local ownership and community-focused development, this list can help you advocate for practical changes.
The 30min Dirty Dozen presentation will be followed by a case study discussion on how South Bend, IN has approached implementing code changes.
Small Developer Boot Camp
Next steps for developers with active projects.
For alumni seeking advanced training and one-on-one help with their specific projects, the Boot Camp is a guided tour through the core questions a small developer needs to answer.
Over a series of live and pre-recorded sessions, participants will be taught the IncDev approach. That’s the simple, how-to part. The real work of the Boot Camp is up to you. This process is about practicing things you aren’t comfortable with and putting in reps with the benefit of a coach. What you get out of the Boot Camp is a direct result of the thoughtfulness and discipline you put in. You’ll feel the togetherness of a cohort that wants to build things that give more than they take.
We’ll explore these questions over 4-8 weeks of instruction and coaching, depending on the cohort.
Note: Boot Camps are only available to those who have completed one of our workshops or our Small Development 101 course.