I don’t have anywhere near the first-hand experience in La Mesa that some other posters have. However, I did work directly with the City of La Mesa on their Walkability Master Plan (2006) and pavement management programs. Some time has passed since I’ve worked there, but I have to say that the City expressed a very proactive attitude towards improving things.
In terms of walkability, one sticking point seemed to be the older hillside communities that have narrow roads and never had sidewalks installed. The City was looking to assess a fee to individual homeowners in those areas for right-of-way improvements such as curb/gutter and sidewalks and I am sure there was some pushback from longtime local residents.
Anyways, you can access more info here: http://www.cityoflamesa.com/index.aspx?NID=699. I did a cursory search and couldn’t find the actual Walkability Master Plan, but rather a “sidewalk master plan” map.
