Los Angeles isn't very pretty, but Paris is. Now, with the Summer Olympics coming up, we seem to be realizing this.
I know, I know: What makes Los Angeles interesting and beautiful is completely different from what makes places like Paris, Tokyo, and other global hubs stand out. People here understand and embrace that. So let’s get one thing straight: Los Angeles can’t match Paris as a charming, perfect Olympic host. That city will star in the 2024 Games in a way our humble metropolis can’t.
But there is work to be done to prepare Los Angeles for the 2028 Games. Since the Paris Olympics ended two weeks ago, The Times has published several articles and letters about how this city can prepare for the global spectacle four years from now — not just for athletes and visitors but also for the roughly 18 million people who live in the area and still have to get on with their lives.
Readers have offered their suggestions, including improved transportation, housing and general cleanliness. Below are some of their suggestions.
—Paul Thornton, Letters Editor
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To the editor: I was in Paris once. Although garbage bags were piling up and graffiti marred the historic structures, the city was beautiful. It has a long and incredible history that is reflected in its buildings and its well-functioning metro system.
Los Angeles is not a pretty place. I've lived here all my life and I wonder why Los Angeles doesn't have more parks and trees. The streets and highways are congested; the avenues are not maintained, allowing trash, dead trees, and weeds to accumulate; and the sidewalks are broken. Certain areas of Los Angeles (particularly where the wealthy people live) are in better condition.
Visitors will be in for a rough landing if LAX is their first time in the city. To reduce traffic congestion, Olympic-goers can take the subway — or not? That system leaves a lot to be desired.
The biggest problem is homelessness. The recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the Grants Pass case and Gov. Gavin Newsom’s executive order on evicting encampments portend that less attention will be paid to the actual housing of those sleeping on public streets and in parks. Instead, they will be kicked out and left to roam. That is not a solution.
RV dwellers need open spaces 24/7 to park, shower, empty their hazardous fluids, and stay off the street. RV dwellers live in their homes, so impounding their vehicles means the city is actually taking someone's home. The city needs to make more space available to them.
It is important that families and children are able to access parks, rather than leaving homeless people to sleep rough in parks. It is imperative that homeless people have accommodation.
Los Angeles has a tough job. So get out the paint cans, hire beautification crews, power-wash the streets, fix up LAX airport, and show compassion for the homeless by giving them a place to live with dignity.
Jane Demian, Los Angeles
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To the editor: I enjoyed reading ideas for making the 2028 Games truly reflective of Los Angeles. I agreed with many of the suggestions, though I don't think a cauldron with open flames at Griffith Observatory or a torch running up and down forest trails makes sense or sends the right message about the danger of wildfires.
Can I add an idea? It doesn't tell the story of Los Angeles, but it would celebrate and honor the city: clean up the trash that accumulates on our freeways, exits, and city streets and rots in the gardens on the streets. It must be a mountain of trash and it is a civic disgrace.
It is no longer necessary to use the pandemic to justify this monstrosity that affects the entire city.
Anita Nitta, Manhattan Beach
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To the editor: Can another Olympic Games match what the French offered during the Paris Games?
The city may have set the bar too high: wide avenues, beautiful parks and exceptional competition venues. Come on, beach volleyball under the iconic Eiffel Tower and dressage at Versailles!
Then there was the location: Paris is easily accessible by train and the motorways into the city are very good.
Although the first few days of the 2024 Games were rainy, that didn't seem to dampen the spirits or the fun of tens of thousands of visitors. The August heat in Paris is nothing compared to Southern California's 100-degree heat and possibly smoky skies.
No, Los Angeles, you'll never stand a chance.
David Kahn, Scottsdale, Arizona.
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To the editor: It's hard to compete with Paris, an architecturally rich city with plenty of beauty and grace.
All of that seemed missing to me in their first and second esoteric attempts to impress the world with their creativity in their opening and closing ceremonies: a lifting piano, a golden scarab costume, gymnastics around the Olympic rings that took forever to rise, and a floor design that only symbolically represented the continents of the globe.
Personally, I wasn't impressed. It was interesting, but not impressive.
The city of Paris is what dominated the Olympics, not the special programming. We can expect a spectacular Hollywood-style spectacle in Los Angeles, we know how to do it.
Linda Jackson Bradshaw, Los Angeles
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To the editor: Many seniors would love to attend the Olympics in Los Angeles, but mobility and ticket costs may prove prohibitive. I suggest organizers make this event accessible and age-friendly.
By 2028, 30% of California's population will be 65 or older. Another priority could be honoring those older adults who are veterans, retired first responders, or teachers who educated our children.
Many countries revere older adults, but no host country has recognized them and worked to make their Games truly accessible to seniors.
Let's show the world that we don't just produce great athletes, but we also honor those who have contributed to that lifelong endeavor by hosting a senior-friendly 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Dr. Gene Dorio, Santa Clarita
The author is a geriatrician.
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To the editor: I lived in Orange County during the last Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 1984 and remember being asked not to use the freeways because of the anticipated influx of thousands of people. I drove to see the Games and to my surprise, many freeways were nearly empty as residents did everything they could to avoid them.
Would that happen now? People have changed since 1984, but it certainly worked well back then.
Best of luck to Los Angeles. I'm sure the 2028 Games will be amazing.
Olive Bray, Sarasota, Florida.
