Gen 11:4 "Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name; lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth."
That happened after the Noah's family flourished after the flood. Probably around 2000 BC.
There were many other civilizations in that Middle Eastern region then. There was Ur, between Babylon and the Persian Gulf.
The Ziggurat of Ur was built around 2000 BC by King Ur-Nammu. This was not the only ziggurat in that region, there were other ziggurats besides this. Seeing ziggurats around them, no wonder Noah's Israelite community wanted to build a 'Tower' too. No need to consult God or to ask permission. (By the way, 'tall tower to reach into heaven' does not literally mean so high as to reach heaven. It simply means a very tall tower.)
This attitude is common in all humans - do what we think is right - just do it !
But God has His own plan.
(Note: The best-preserved ziggurat is at Ur (Iraq). The largest ziggurat is at Choghā Zanbīl (Iran). Another ziggurat, apparently of great antiquity, is located at Tepe Sialk (Iran). The legendary Tower of Babel has been popularly associated with the ziggurat of the great temple of Marduk (Babylon).
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