Santa Monica Cares

In 1994 Santa Monica adopted a Sustainable City Plan to provide for a healthier, cleaner, safer, and more beautiful Santa Monica and to ensure that, as a community, “we can live well today without compromising the ability of future generations to do the same.”

Below, a few examples of our efforts:

Environment: Santa Monica has been named one of the top ten sustainable cities in the U.S. Check our Sustainable Santa Monica section for more information.

Smoke-Free: Santa Monica has designated the following public places to be smoke-free: restaurants, bars, theaters, auditoriums, museums and public buildings, parks, public services waiting areas and the beach.

Human Dignity: While visitors may be struck by the numbers of people in transition in Santa Monica and Los Angeles in general, we advocate extensively for the homeless through our “Continuum of Care” Program, offering much-needed services: from provision of food, shelter and storage to assignment of a social-service case manager and health treatment if needed.

Although it might seem beneficent to hand money to the needy, there is a more sustainable approach. Drop spare change or dollars into one of the three large bronze dolphins located around town: one on the Pier, one on the Promenade and one on Main St. at Ashland. Literally every dime deposited in the dolphins goes directly and exclusively towards developing programs to help the homeless.

Your Safety: Though Santa Monica is a bustling, vibrant city, we enjoy some of the lowest crime rates in Southern California. In fact, crime is at its lowest rate since 1956. As in any bustling city, we encourage you to use common sense and good judgment when traveling to Santa Monica and Los Angeles.