As the peaks and excesses of 2021 fade, so too has the rallying cry—first adopted in the technology sector, then embraced by real estate—of “Builders Build!”
Yet today, in both Canada and the United States, the need to build is more urgent than even at the height of the last cycle. While the catalysts differ between the two countries, both are home to hundreds of thousands of literal and figurative builders—chomping at the bit to build.
To strengthen our sovereignty, economies, and founder culture, we yearn to build like we once did—but better, faster, and at greater scale.
Mike Solana’s essay Golden Age opens by drawing a parallel to Walt Disney—not just the man, but the visionary. Anyone who has visited Disneyland or Disney World as an adult—and works in any builder capacity—cannot help but leave in awe. Not because of the depth of intellectual property or animation, but because of the unparalleled attention to detail, the immersion of experience, the precision world-building, and the clarity of vision executed. In my travels, I’ve seen few places even attempt this level of built excellence, let alone achieve it.
But we are now bound by our own progress. We became so good at building that we’ve redirected our energy toward restricting it. Some restrictions have emerged from legitimate efforts to raise standards—others from taxation, lawfare, environmental litigation, or bureaucratic inertia. The rugged Western builder is now hamstrung by internal constraints.
Having developed one expansive master-planned community and being closely acquainted with others who have done the same, we see a pattern: a small subset of vocal early adopters eventually become NIMBYs. Ironically, they end up protesting the very vision that once compelled them to invest hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars. It’s likely only 5% of residents—but that 5% is often the most vigilant, aggressive, and organized. They block new housing for the 100% of future residents who have no voice yet.
Solana contrasts this with China’s model of centralized authority, where such resistance is simply not permitted. He paints to a striking example: China designated a small fishing village of 30,000 people as its first Special Economic Zone (SEZ) to test market economics within a communist regime. It worked. That same area is now home to 17 million people—nearly half of Canada’s entire population!
Some Canadian provinces and U.S. states are beginning to reclaim the narrative with a firmer hand. In 2023, the Government of British Columbia passed Bill 44: the Housing Statutes (Residential Development) Amendment Act. It mandates that municipalities over 5,000 people must allow increased density in single-family and duplex zones—up to four units per lot, and six on transit-adjacent lots. It also requires that zoning bylaws and Official Community Plans be updated to reflect 20-year housing needs, eliminates certain public hearings, and standardizes secondary suite rules across the province.
Trust me: many in B.C. have protested this as well—calling it authoritarian and likening it to the overreach of a communist state. What alternative do we have? Western governments have spent decades focusing on restricting demand through taxes, foreign buyer bans, and fee structures.
It’s time to change the narrative. Time to give builders a real chance to build—less restriction, more ambition. Otherwise, we may find ourselves confronting more than just a housing shortage. We may find ourselves meeting many a John Galt.