Ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games, Los Angeles is rallying around infrastructure buildout and technological advancement.

Los Angeles could see an Olympic Games that is entirely connected by transit, organizers say. At the VerdeXchange 2018 Conference in Downtown L.A., AECOM sports leader Bill Hanway announced, "In our plan, each sports park is entirely accessible by public transport. No private cars will be used at all during the course of the Games."
That vision is driven in large part by LA Metro's plan to accelerate 28 projects for the Olympics, which CEO Phil Washington told the conference is the most ambitious transportation infrastructure initiative in the country. Metro is also in talks with Elon Musk about using his tunnel-boring technology to speed up projects, Washington said.
L.A. hopes that using the Olympics as a stimulus to strengthen existing infrastructure could drive important advancements for the region, unlike in other cities where hosting ended in empty husks and copious debt. Sharing lessons from past games, the panel noted that L.A.'s last go-around, in 1984, prompted the launch of the country's first program to synchronize traffic signals.
But since the city is now in the unusual position of preparing for the games 11 years ahead of time, it must allow for the near certainty that new technologies—especially transportation technologies—will push the limits of what current infrastructure plans can deliver or even imagine.
Justin Erbacci, chief innovation officer at LAX, told the panel that the airport is planning to have not only autonomous cars, but also flying cars (a.k.a. vertical take-off and landing vehicles) in service by the 2028 Olympics. That's on top of the modernization program the airport is already undertaking, which includes an automated people mover that will connect it to Metro rail for the first time.
Read the full discussion in The Planning Report, or watch it on video.
FULL STORY: LA's 2028 Olympics Already Catalyzing Transformative Infrastructure Investments

Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network
The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.

New State Study Suggests Homelessness Far Undercounted in New Mexico
An analysis of hospital visit records provided a more accurate count than the annual point-in-time count used by most agencies.

Michigan Bills Would Stiffen Penalties for Deadly Crashes
Proposed state legislation would close a ‘legal gap’ that lets drivers who kill get away with few repercussions.

Report: Bus Ridership Back to 86 Percent of Pre-Covid Levels
Transit ridership around the country was up by 85 percent in all modes in 2024.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions