Hosting the summer Olympics used to be a dream for many global cities, but it is now seen by many as more of a nightmare. There’s the cost of hosting – $10bn and up, in recent years – the displacement of local residents, the environmental toll, and the risk of being left, like Rio de Janeiro or Athens, with major debt and crumbling Olympic stadiums.
In the decade since Los Angeles secured its bid for the summer 2028 games, the city’s leaders have promised they will do it differently, and that Los Angeles is prepared to deliver world-class Olympics and Paralympic games in its “sunny, ideal weather”, all while keeping costs, environmental damage, and community disruption to a minimum.
