The topic of the future someday maybe if-I ever do-it dissertation is an examination of how drug policy intersects with urban planning. In that, I am trying to understand how drugs and softened drug policy in certain city areas can actually act as an attractiveness policy for young professionals. Those young professionals are what cities want in order to improve their tax base, grow the economy and attract high tech companies. In order to attract these young professionals, not only do you have to provide jobs, but also something to do. What do these people do? They drink and do drugs. I'm serious.

Forbes just printed an article about the top cities in the US for young professionals, one of the factors being a solid entertainment industry.
If cities were to soften up on petty drug charges, such as personal possession and dealing, in certain areas, they may be able to also focus police presence with knowledge of certain activity, as well as the application of harm reduction methods. Bourbon Street in New Orleans, is a good example of concentrating drug and alcohol activity into a specific area with concentrated police presence. Although it is not the most successful of these types, there is potential. Dolphin Street in Austin, is probably a better example, but just doesn't hold the same place in my heart.

Certain entertainment drugs often are used by a large percentage of the population only once in a while, on weekends, special events or experimentally, and do not pose any type of addiction or criminal problems. Rather than crack down on something that throughout all history has failed to be supressed, why don't we work together to make people safer and smarter. Along with that, we should shape our cities to make entertainment activity safer and more contained.

"In large numbers democracy is obviously unworkable" -The City in History - Lewis Mumford (the book I am currently reading)