By City of La Mesa - A 10-Year Live Well San Diego Recognized Partner

Centrally located in the rolling hills of eastern San Diego County, the City of La Mesa is known as the Jewel of the Hills with a near-perfect climate, tree-lined streets, and walkable neighborhoods. The La Mesa population of just over 61,000 is made up of a diverse community with a wide age distribution (median age of 36).

The mission of the City of La Mesa is to reliably deliver high-quality public services that enhance the quality of life for all.

The City of La Mesa’s goals are to:

• Maintain a community where residents and visitors feel safe.
• Ensure a strong financial outlook through careful planning, sustainable service levels, and fiscal sustainability.
• Promote a high quality of life that current and future generations can afford to call home.
• Invest in infrastructure to serve the needs of the community.
• Nurture an organizational culture where employees are recognized for the delivery of high-quality services to the community.

Actions/Policies/Initiatives

The City of La Mesa formed a Wellness Task Force in 2005 and in 2009, the League of California Cities presented La Mesa with the Helen Putnam Award for Excellence in the category of Health and Wellness Programs for their “Ready – Set -- Live Well” program, a community wellness initiative. The City continued to gain momentum around health and wellness and has built partnerships, launched programs, and built infrastructure geared to a more livable La Mesa.

Over the past 10 years, the City of La Mesa has accomplished a lot in support of the vision, including community events, educational and public awareness programs and workshops, master plans, and improved infrastructure.


Educational public awareness programs and workshops:

• Bicycle education
• Created and adopted Climate Action Plan
• Community conversations on inclusivity, United Against Hate, health literacy, community power, homeless, Veterans Resource Fair, disaster preparedness
• Communities of excellence in nutrition, physical activity, and obesity-prevention youth programs
• Composting, gardening, native landscaping, rainwater collection, tree-planting, water conservation, and xeriscaping demonstrations and workshops
• DIY Energy Saving Toolkits Loan Program
• Health and Wellness programs and workshops
• Implementation of a Community Choice Aggregation Program
• Implementation of Curbside Organics Recycle Program
• Launched Green Business Certification Program
• Tree-planting workshops
• Safe Routes to School programs

Equipment and Infrastructure Improvements

• Added a new dog park
• Community Garden with 42 garden beds
• Built 33 miles of Class 2 bike lanes, 28 miles of Class 3 bike lanes, 1.6 miles of sidewalks, 24 new crosswalks and installed new bike racks and bicycle repair stations
• Incorporated electric landscaping tools into inventory  
• Increased the number of shared and/or dedicated pickleball courts for a total of 16
• Installed water refill stations
• Installed electric charging stations
• Invested in new electric and hybrid vehicles for City’s fleet
• Renovated oldest park in La Mesa
• Replaced four playgrounds

Events

• Earth Day fairs
• Bike to Work / Bike Anywhere Days  
• Safety fairs
• Flag Day Parade
• Litter-Free La Mesa Cleanups
• Summer concerts
• Movies in the Parks
• Park Appreciation Days
• Paper shredding
• Planted over 500 trees

Master Plans Adopted

• Bicycle facilities and Alternative Transportation Plan
• Climate Action Plan
• Complete Streets
• Livable La Mesa Age-Friendly Action Plan
• Parks Master Plan
• Recreation and Parks Master Plan
• Urban Trails Mobility Action Plan

Overall, these accomplishments demonstrate their commitment to improving the quality of life for their residents through innovative programs and policies. By prioritizing health and well-being, fostering a culture of active transportation, reducing carbon emissions, and engaging the community, the City of La Mesa has created a more vibrant, connected, and sustainable community.