The skyscrapers that NIMBYs and zoning couldn't stop

The Squamish Nation's development of the Sinak site in Vancouver explores the economic potential unlocked by circumventing typical zoning regulations. After reclaiming 10.5 acres of ancestral land, the Squamish Nation decided to construct 11 high-rise towers, a project that would add 6,000 apartments to Vancouver's housing market. This project highlights the concentrated costs versus diffuse benefits problem, where a vocal minority of neighbors initially resisted the development, raising concerns about traffic and disruption. Despite the initial resistance, the Squamish moved forward, aided by a $1.4 billion loan from the Canadian government, and are now seeing increasing public support as the project nears completion, illustrating the potential for rapid development when zoning constraints are removed.