60. $2B "Levitical" Mega-Project?

What happens when ancient laws clash with modern urban planning?In this episode, we dive into a fascinating thought experiment that is playing out in real-time in Vancouver, British Columbia. This podcast contrasts a Biblical mandate in Leviticus 25:23—which explicitly forbids the permanent sale of land, asserting that humans are merely tenants and stewards— with the Squamish Nation reclaiming their ancestral territory to build Senakw.Senakw is the largest First Nations economic development project in Canadian history: an unapologetically massive, ultra-dense, net-zero carbon mega-project. Because it is being built entirely on designated reserve land, it completely bypasses the city's strict traditional zoning bylaws.But with density projections five times higher than Canada's current highest-density neighborhoods, the project has sparked a fierce debate. Is this sustainable, earth-centric urban design an inspiring triumph of indigenous reclamation, or an infrastructural recipe for disaster as critics claim?In this episode, we discuss:The staggering $20B economics and architecture of the Senakw development.The density debate: Why urban planners are sounding the alarm on liveability.The ultimate question: Would our cities be better managed if we followed ancient rules of stewardship?