How Los Angeles Will Plan for the 2028 Olympics

The county of Los Angeles has a lot coming for it, not least of all the 2028 Summer Olympics, which will take place in the one and only city of Angels. This is significant because it’s the first time Los Angeles has been represented on a scale this large since 1984, when LA hosted its second Summer Olympics. Notably, LA has gone through some drastic changes since then and this raises concerns for LA county residents. Will traffic be an issue? Is there enough housing? Will the homelessness crisis be a roadblock? How will public transportation come into play? These are just some of the questions that are being asked to the local government.

Venue Plans:

Los Angeles is known for its vast number of venues that hold large-scale events like concerts and sports games, so in terms of venue availability, Los Angeles has quite the selection. Some of the largest venues being used are the LA Memorial Coliseum, located across from the University of Southern California and the SoFi Stadium and Crypto.com Arena, which are both located in Inglewood near LAX Airport.

Transportation & Infrastructure:

To prepare for the Olympics, LA is focusing on a transit-first approach, which will include borrowing 2,700 buses to help transport event viewers and athletes and boosting public transit projects like the K-Line extension. The K-Line extension is a project that would connect the current K-Line Metro Rail (which currently runs from the Expo/Crenshaw station to Westchester) to Mid City, West Hollywood, and Hollywood. This extension will be crucial to creating reliable transportation for visitors from all over the world and will connect them to the hottest spots in LA.

In terms of infrastructure, it’s unclear whether things like housing, roads, and power supply will be ready by the summer of 2028. Yes, this is over three years away, but as everyone knows, Los Angeles has gone through serious hardship because of the recent wildfires. Between the Eaton Fire and the Palisades Fire, the city’s focus has shifted. Rebuilding has become a priority and with this being the city’s most expensive natural disaster in recorded history, it’s going to be an immense challenge for insurance companies to compensate those affected for what has been lost. With this knowledge, many Los Angeles residents are pressuring authorities to take action.

Sustainability & Innovation:

The Olympics have long had a reputation of being non-eco-friendly, but these upcoming Games may change that. Historically, the Olympics have been an epicenter for carbon emissions. For example, the London (2012) and Rio (2016) Games emitted 3.3 and 3.6 million tons of CO2, respectively. It doesn’t take a genius to realize that is a colossal amount of chemicals being emitted in a concentrated area in a short amount of time. However, Los Angeles is hoping to go car-free, and this change alone would cut the carbon emissions a tremendous amount. But air pollution isn’t the only potential issue. LA is notorious for its trash problem, and with millions of visitors entering the city, this problem isn’t likely to improve. The city does seem to have a plan. The local government is working with recycling programs and venue operations to develop an efficient way of composting trash.

Community:

Within the past few months alone, Los Angeles has proved to be a community-driven city. After the local wildfire devastation, we’ve seen people from all over the county come together to support those affected. This community strength leading up to the Olympics will be crucial for locals dealing with visitors.

Historically, the economic growth that these Games will contribute to the city in terms of creating temporary jobs will be a gold rush for working-class citizens. This world event could catapult LA back to the bustling city it once was, after the departure of so many in the wake of Covid-19.