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It's Been An Honor
For the past six years I have had the unique opportunity to work with an exceptional group of ULI leaders and members.
April 22, 2024
Los Angeles Business Journal
4/22/24, 6:31 AM
The Los Angeles 1984 Summer Olympics introduced several innovations, such as the first-ever computerized scoring systems. These Olympics were financially successful, mainly due to corporate sponsorships and limited public funding.
As a result, the 1984 Summer Olympics were a triumph for the United States: They established a legacy of organizational proficiency (expected from the upcoming Paris 2024 games). And they infused the city with a dramatic economic impact.
With the return to Los Angeles of the Summer Olympics just four years away, I share the civic pride of L.A. in the international spotlight. And yet, in terms of equitable impact, it is clear that the 1984 Olympics failed to get all of the city’s economic players into the game. They proved, once again, how the Black community rarely scores a home run, despite demonstrating prowess on the field.
There are specific policy and market-based reasons why my community has been unable to reap the largess of events such as the Olympics. They are part of the institutional handicaps –such as the “redlining” of Black neighborhoods, which stifled generational wealth – that has kept these communities stranded on third base for centuries.
Housing is still a concern
Housing and real estate were instrumental in the concentrated disadvantage of Blacks in all U.S. cities. Government and private actors erected barriers to investment and homeownership in Black communities. According to the 2023 “State of Black Los Angeles County Report,” Black people have the region’s smallest homeownership rate: 33.5%, compared to Whites at 53.9%. Consider the impact on the economic game where the average White home value exceeds Black home values 1.65 times, and where many Black neighborhoods are locked in a downward spiral of devaluation, disinvestment and deterioration. With the arrival of the LA28 games, I share the concern that infrastructure investments, which hold the promise of elevating property values, will once again strand or even price out many longtime residents.
What needs to be done
I am joining the city’s top business and development experts in “Urban Marketplace 24: From LA84 to LA28 and Beyond,” presented by Urban Land Institute, Los Angeles District Council, on April 24 at the Beehive in South Los Angeles. “Insights and Investments to Narrow theRacial Wealth Gap” will off er examples of how business, community and political leaders can coach investment in historically underserved Black and brown communities.
With an emphasis on wealth enhancement, Urban Marketplace offers achievable means of environmental equity and social justice. We suggest the following steps:
By implementing these steps, Los Angeles can ensure that the 2028 Olympics leave a positive and lasting impact on its low-income communities.
Interested in shaping the LA28 Olympics? Join us at Urban Marketplace to continue this conversation and make deals to make a difference!
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