PARIS, FRANCE — As a part of ongoing preparations to host the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass today visited the Paris Media Centre, the Olympic Village and sporting event venues to examine effective logistics and communication output during the Games. The Mayor is in Paris, France with Los Angeles regional officials as they continue to make crucial preparations for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2028. During the Closing Ceremony, she will become the first Black woman mayor to ever receive the official Olympic flag during a Closing Ceremony. Photos and video from throughout the trip are available here.
Ensuring Angelenos benefit from the preparation and hosting of this major event, both now and for decades, is a top priority for the Mayor with a focus on helping local small businesses, creating local jobs and creating lasting environmental and transportation improvements throughout Los Angeles.
Mayor Bass made the following announcements this week:
Keeping Angelenos Safe: Hundreds of safety provisions near schools have been installed to make it safer for students to get to and from school. These installations follow action from the Mayor and City Council last year in response to tragic pedestrian deaths.
Bringing More Angelenos Inside: More than 30 unhoused Angelenos were brought inside with supportive services through Inside Safe response efforts in areas including South Los Angeles, the San Fernando Valley and Hollywood.
Connecting Angelenos With The Olympic Games: The City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks (RAP) will host a series of live-streamed viewing parties of the 2024 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, France and offer sports activities for youth across the city. The PlayLA Youth and Adaptive Youth Sports Programs under RAP are bringing the excitement of the 2024 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games to Los Angeles. PlayLA is the single largest commitment to youth sports development in California and serves as a legacy before, during and after the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Helping House Vets: Following the direct advocacy of Mayor Bass and the United States Conference of Mayors to the federal government, a new policy change will make more veterans eligible for housing and increase their housing options. The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) published a federal notice establishing policy changes that make it clear that veterans experiencing homelessness should not be disqualified from supportive housing based on their disability status.
Expanding Safety Programs: The Crisis and Incident Response through Community-led Engagement (CIRCLE) program is expanding its current Venice and Del Rey service area to also cover Oakwood, Mar Vista, Palms, Playa Vista, Playa Del Rey, Westchester, Manchester Square and Dockweiler Beach. CIRCLE provides services to help respond to calls involving unhoused individuals, including loitering, well-being checks, noise disturbances, substance abuse issues, and indecent exposure. The expansion will launch 24/7 service on Sunday, August 25th.
Serving Communities All Across L.A: Mayor Bass announced the final weekend of Summer Night (SNL), a program that provides safe, family-friendly programming as a strategy to prevent violence in certain neighborhoods throughout Los Angeles, which has hired more than 600 Angelenos to support, and more than 80,000 residents and visitors have attended. SNL is part of a proven comprehensive strategy to reduce violent crime and improve health across the City. This summer, SNL has been in more than 40 sites across the City of Los Angeles on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays between 6:00 pm - 11:00 pm until August 10th. Please see photos here.
Supporting The Entertainment Industry: Mayor Bass issued her eighth executive directive to streamline and focus City department processes for local film and television production. Read what leaders across the entertainment industry said about the announcement here.
READOUTS FROM TODAY IN PARIS:
Preparing To Host Press From All Over The World – Mayor Bass visited the City of Paris’ temporary Media Center at Carreau du Temple, which is host to hundreds of non-accredited media covering the 2024 Games. Operated by the City of Paris, the Paris Media Centre is designed to give journalists a window into the vibrant atmosphere and dynamism of the City as it hosts the 2024 Games. With capacity for 600 people, the media center provides 300 workstations, two press conference rooms, interview areas, recording studios, as well as relaxation and catering areas, creating a free, all-hours, centralized location for journalists to operate during the 2024 Games.
Locking Arms With Federal and Local Partners: Mayor Bass and local leaders including Council President Paul Krekorian, Councilwoman Traci Park, and City Administrative Officer Matt Szabo, joined Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff and his Presidential Delegation, including California Senator Laphonza Butler and Congressman Robert Garcia, in meeting with Team USA athletes in the Athletes Village. Mayor Bass also met with athletes and coaches from the Refugee Olympic team, representing more than 100 million displaced persons worldwide, as well as the Director of the Olympic Refugee foundation where they discussed their historic first medal and the significance of the Olympic Refugee team within the Olympics movement.
Observing Logistics To Optimize The Olympic Experience: Mayor Bass visited the Place de la Concorde, the venue hosting Breaking, 3x3 Basketball, BMX Freestyle Cycling and Skateboard, with LA28 leadership where she observed the crowd flow, capacity, and other important characteristics that will factor into the planning of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Yesterday, Mayor Bass visited cities and communities outside of the Paris city center to observe how they are engaging the local community and benefiting from the Games.
Mayor Bass will receive the official Olympic flag from Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo during the Closing Ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games on Sunday. Mayor Hidalgo and Mayor Bass are both the first women to serve as mayor of their respective cities. Mayor Bass will make history by becoming the first Black woman mayor to ever receive the official Olympic flag during a Closing Ceremony. For more information, click here.