La Paz

The migration of temporary workers into Baja California Sur, created by the lack of job opportunities in their home communities, has complicated the community development services that are available in the state capital.  Water and sewer infrastructure needs to be upgraded.  Investments in land-use planning point to a lack of services to outlying communities in the city of La Paz that must be corrected before future growth can proceed. 

The insufficiency of public transportation leads to the irrational use of private vehicles.  The municipal government has not made capital investments in modernized public vehicles, nor have they studied the problem, despite a growing and diffuse population base.  Therefore, it is necessary to promote studies on the road system and transportation for the authorities to discuss and, if appropriate, authorize new spending for this purpose.

Security is also an issue, with more gated communities emerging in the municipality. Parallel to this, there is a mistrust of the police, which is manifested in fewer reports of offenses and the lack of follow-up when they are filed.  Neighborhood watches could be one opportunity for reducing low-level crimes. 

Despite efforts to create sports areas, the lack of support for sports and recreation continues to be a problem in La Paz. This gap is linked to increases in drug and alcohol addiction, especially among young people, as well as prostitution.  Municipal attention to sports and recreational facilities and programs is needed, as well as nonprofit involvement in programming.

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