LASA gathered in October to consider LA’s preparations for hosting FIFA World Cup and the Olympics. We started with a tour of the Coliseum, host to the 1932 and 1984 Olympic games. From the view of the beautiful LA skyline to the details about the specific blend of grasses for the pitch, LASA was reminded of how much our built environment operates in conversation with nature.

We then welcomed Dan Rodman and Karina Macias from the city of LA. They work on thinking through questions of transportation, street-planning, shade, accessibility, and the legacy of the infrastructure for the World Cup and Olympics.

Madeline reflected, “Thank you so much for the amazing lesson on Saturday. I loved hearing about the preparation for the 2028 Olympics because it was eye-opening in showing me how the city is designed with so much intentionality. For example, the use of ramps on sidewalks is something that goes unnoticed by most of us but is actually the hard-earned result of a civil rights battle by Americans with physical disabilities. I also thought it was fascinating to hear about our subway system and efforts to expand it in preparation for the Olympics. Dan emphasized that Los Angeles hosting the Olympics is an excuse to enhance the lives of Angelinos and also talked about how effective the subways in Paris (who hosted the 2024 games) were. These examples both made me reconsider how deeply urban design impacts our community and how it has the power to transform our lives for the better. Overall, this lesson was a truly impactful experience that made me rethink a lot of things that I take for granted and I’m so grateful for this experience.”

Remick added, “While listening to Dan and Karina talk about the planning for FIFA 26 and the Olympics 2028, I thought about the relationship between the Olympics and the increased need for improvement within the city to prepare for these events. It shows a lot about the city and how it is run that they said the deadline of the Olympics really helped galvanize the ongoing efforts to improve the city. The impact that they are trying
to create because of the Olympics is generally positive, as the citizens of Los Angeles are all positively impacted by the planning of the Olympics. I found the transportation issues to be especially important and impactful because Los Angeles already receives so much traffic, and the impact of millions more visitors will definitely affect the city. I thought that the dedicated bus lane idea could be very beneficial if properly implemented, showing the different ideas that they have sifted through to try and help with the Olympics preparation.”

Thank you to Dan Rodman, Karina Macias, and the team at the Coliseum for transforming how we see the city!