"When it comes to drunk driving, America may have a bigger driving problem than a drinking problem."

It's a clever argument, and there's a lot of truth to it, though for anyone growing up in a sparsely populated rural area (like me), the annoyance of being forced to drive long distances to drinking spots, then be concerned about the risks of driving back home while soused, is something that became evident for the first time during the Carter Administration.

Yes, one might remain sober long enough to transport alcoholic beverages to the country manor house, except that bedroom drinking in your pajamas rarely is conducive to being rejected by women and tangled up in barroom brawls, both of which are simply critical when it comes to learning how to interact with people as opposed to their television sets.

Beginning in 1985, urban experiences in Europe changed me forever, and I no longer wished to drive a car in association with my alcohol habit. The imperative became getting situated in a real urban neighborhood, and turning me loose to walk and bike to the pub. In fact, both houses I've played a role in purchasing since 1994 came about because they were in proximity to business and beer -- whether working, drinking or both.

Placement wasn't dumb luck. It was pure intent. As luck would have it, now that I live a few blocks away from numerous bars and restaurants in downtown New Albany, most of my reduced drinking is done at home ... with my wife, who hasn't yet rejected me.

Anything's possible, even reasonable zoning.

MOTHERS AGAINST DRUNK DRIVING SHOULD ALSO BE AGAINST ZONING, by Joshua McCarty at Strong Towns.

WHY DO BARS HAVE PARKING LOTS IF WE AREN'T SUPPOSED TO DRIVE HOME?

When it comes to drunk driving, America may have a bigger driving problem than a drinking problem. Sometimes I tell people that I became a planner in order to ensure everyone can safely imbibe and safely get home. When you step back and think about it though, how well do we really consider our development decisions regarding drinking establishments? I contend that the way typical code treats drinking establishments is indicative of the kind of misguided positivism that is pervasive in modern planning. The kind of prescriptive guidance that can specify how many trees you need in a parking lot but completely misses the simple practical relationship between how people use the site and their ability to stay safe. Modernist standardization erases the creativity and common sense that come from small scale solutions.

I have never understood how a zoning code could, in good faith, permit a drinking establishment that could only possibly be reached by car ...