Learn what city and agency leaders can do to lower barriers to small-scale development, such as ADUs, duplexes, townhouses, and fourplexes. Sessions are led by facilitators with real-world experience in both local government and the development of small-scale infill projects.
Sessions take place over six weeks and include virtual peer learning sessions, group office hours, and closed-door coaching for you and your team. There are five virtual peer learning sessions. These are supplemented by group office hours where attendees can dive into detail with subject matter experts. The course also includes private coaching sessions, available for attendees and a small group of their coworkers or collaborators. Graduates of the course are encouraged to share their experience at a capstone event taking place at a national NLC conference.
Ideal For:
- Mayors, Council Members, City Planners and city staff who work in housing and community development.
Course Dates: February 4 – March 11, 2026
Registration closes: January 28, 2026
Format: Live Online
Cost: $1,500
Housing and Community Development has been awarded grant funding to deliver this course and award scholarships; for more information, contact us at unviersity@nlc.org.
Course Meeting Dates and Times:
- Feb. 4, 2026 | 1:00 – 2:15 PM EST
- Feb. 11, 2026 | 1:00 – 2:15 PM EST
- Feb. 18, 2026 | 1:00 – 2:15 PM EST
- Feb. 25, 2026 | 1:00 – 2:15 PM EST
- Mar. 4, 2026 | 1:00 – 2:15 PM EST
- Mar. 11, 2026 | 1:00 – 2:15 PM EST
Sign up today by clicking the “Register Now” button. When completing your registration, be sure to log in to your MyNLC account and fill out all required information.
When prompted to select a registration type, please choose Student. You can then proceed with any additional information and payment, if applicable.
If you experience any issues, feel free to reach out to university@nlc.org for assistance.
Learning Objectives
- Week 1 – Incremental Development in Practice
Participants will be able to explain how small-scale development differs from conventional large-scale projects and articulate why enabling these smaller projects matters for their community’s housing goals. - Week 2 – Calibrating Policy and Projects
Participants will learn to evaluate how specific policy decisions (fees, setbacks, parking requirements, etc.) affect the financial feasibility of small-scale projects and identify which policy levers have the greatest impact on project viability in their jurisdiction. - Week 3 – Always Be Experimenting
Participants will be able to compare different approaches to supporting neighborhood infill–including pre-approved building plans and other programs–and assess which strategies might be most appropriate for their community’s context. - Week 4 – Getting It Done
Attendees will learn strategies for enacting small-scale development reforms in their city, including approaches for engaging city council, addressing opposition, and building supportive coalitions. - Week 5 – Opportunities at Home
Participants will be able to identify specific barriers and opportunities for small-scale development in their community and formulate initial policy solutions based on peer experiences and best practices. - Week 6 – Coaching and Office Hours
Attendees will be able to prepare a menu of prioritized policy and program options tailored to their jurisdiction’s specific context and implementation capacity.
Course Facilitators
Matthew Petty, Pattern Zones Co.
Matthew Petty helps towns and cities address housing challenges with pre-approved building programs. He served 13 years as councilmember for Fayetteville, Arkansas and has written or cowritten reforms for ADUs, food trucks, townhouses, lot splits, pocket neighborhoods, and more. Since 2016, he has taught small-scale development to locals in more than 20 community workshops.
For questions, contact university@nlc.org.