How will LA’s Infrastructure Support the 2028 Olympics and More?

At this month’s Southern California Development Forum panel, industry leaders joined together to discuss hurdles facing LA Infrastructure Investments. With the World Cup and Olympics on the horizon — and pressing challenges like wildfire recovery and long-term resilience planning — the urgency for regional coordination has never been greater.

Moderated by William Gorham, Vice President of Plenary Americas, the panel featured Heather Repenning, Executive Officer at Metro; Matthew Horton, Vice President of Research and Policy at the LA Economic Development Corporation; and David Jacot, P.E., the Director of Distributed Energy Solution at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.

A Call for Regional Collaboration

With the 2028 Olympics and 2026 World Cup on the horizon, Los Angeles is positioned to showcase its capabilities on a global stage. But as exciting as these events are, they also come with high expectations for infrastructure, transportation, housing, and environmental sustainability. The key to meeting these expectations lies in regional collaboration.

Los Angeles doesn’t exist in a vacuum—it's part of a larger Southern California ecosystem that includes neighboring cities and counties. If we’re going to meet the needs of the millions of visitors expected during these events, we need to approach these challenges as a region, not just as a single city. This means coordinating efforts across municipal boundaries, creating a unified strategy for transportation, housing, and environmental protections.

For instance, improving regional transit infrastructure will not only benefit the Games but will also leave a lasting legacy for residents by providing better options for commuting, reducing congestion, and lowering emissions. Similarly, investing in sustainable housing solutions that meet the needs of both visitors and residents will help us ensure that the city’s growth benefits all Angelenos.

Value Creation through Smart Investments: Balancing Sustainability & Resiliency

One of the major hurdles in large-scale infrastructure projects is ensuring that investments are not only impactful but also sustainable in the long run. To achieve this, Los Angeles must take a holistic approach to development, blending resilience and sustainability into every decision.

“Resiliency is clearly a key topic at the moment,” William stated. “Dealing with the aftereffects of the fires as well as addressing the need, and value, of investing back in the communities - all while preventing the replication of the same situation so that we won’t suffer from the same problem – is a challenge to balance.” He continued, “How do you balance this need to reinvest in our communities, with the need to make sure that they're resilient, and then make sure that our investments are equitable across the community?”

To ensure that value is created from these investments, we must focus on projects that are not just "green" in name but have measurable, long-term impacts. For example, investing in green building technologies, such as energy-efficient HVAC systems, recycled building materials, and low-carbon concrete, can provide long-term cost savings and environmental benefits. Similarly, incorporating resilient designs that can withstand future natural disasters will ultimately protect both the physical and financial health of the city.

When referencing these investments, Heather added, “we're not just investing in capital. We're investing in safety. We have a very robust ambassador program. We're investing in cleanliness. We’re even rebuilding our ridership from the time prior to COVID.” She continued, “I see us (Metro) as a great place for people to come with ideas and collaboration.”

As part of these efforts, we should focus on integrating green spaces and urban cooling solutions into our infrastructure projects. This not only helps reduce the urban heat island effect but also contributes to the well-being of the community. The future of Los Angeles depends on smart investments that create both economic growth and a healthier, more sustainable environment.

Addressing Staffing Shortfalls and Local Needs

As we embark on these ambitious projects, we also need to address one of the most pressing challenges Los Angeles faces—staffing shortfalls. The city is experiencing a talent gap, particularly in fields like construction, engineering, and sustainability, which are crucial for the successful implementation of long-term infrastructure projects. Southern California is home to some of the country’s top engineering programs, yet many of these graduates leave the region for work elsewhere.

“The greatest needs we see within our own organization and also regionally is skilled workforce development,” said David. “Where we see these positions going unfilled is in construction trades, public, private positions, contractors.”

The solution? Fostering industries that align with the region's strengths in technology, sustainability, and infrastructure. Encouraging talent retention and creating new sectors within the circular economy will be crucial to ensuring that Los Angeles can stay at the forefront of innovation. Local partnerships between universities, trade schools, and industry leaders can create a talent pipeline that will power future infrastructure developments. By offering competitive wages, benefits, and career development opportunities, Los Angeles can position itself as a leader in sustainable infrastructure and resilience, creating a local talent pipeline that will serve the city for years to come.

Long-Term Sustainability and Community Benefits

Ultimately, the investments we make in infrastructure, sustainability, and resilience must benefit the entire community. As Los Angeles prepares for the Olympics and World Cup, it’s vital that the city’s investments address the needs of vulnerable communities, particularly those most affected by climate change and urban development pressures.

This means prioritizing affordable housing, equitable access to green spaces, and ensuring that economic growth translates into job opportunities for all residents. Additionally, public-private partnerships can play a vital role in leveraging additional resources to drive large-scale projects that benefit the entire region, ensuring that both environmental and social sustainability are central to the planning process.

Matt mentioned that in meeting this moment, “we have an opportunity as a region, as a state, to really usher in a whole new sustainable building materials economy - from a prefab housing to cone innovation to using other kinds of sustainable building materials – this requires us to ask: what could that look like from a production standpoint? From a manufacturing standpoint? From an innovation and ultimately, from an implementation standpoint?”

The Olympics as a Catalyst for Change

With the 2028 Summer Olympics on the horizon, LA has a unique opportunity to showcase its resilience on the global stage. As the world prepares to come to Los Angeles in just three years, the focus will be on not only the city’s infrastructure but also its commitment to sustainability and climate action. Hosting the Games will provide a platform to push forward ideas that could transform the city—ideas that prioritize green building, public health, and climate adaptation.

The Olympic Games will be a key moment for Los Angeles to prove that it can lead by example, not just in sports, but in how cities prepare for the challenges of the future. “No one wants to be embarrassed—we want to be proud of LA," said Heather.

The next few years present an exciting opportunity for Los Angeles to make meaningful investments that address current challenges while positioning the city for long-term success. By focusing on sustainability, resilience, regional collaboration, and workforce development, we can ensure that Los Angeles not only survives future challenges but thrives in the face of them.