For cities gearing up to host the Olympics, the challenge is more akin to a marathon than a sprint.

Years before the athletes arrive, cities awarded an Olympic and Paralympic Games must coordinate across transportation systems, security agencies, housing providers, venue operators and municipal departments. Traffic patterns need to be reimagined to handle a massive surge in visitors. Food and beverage operations have to scale across dozens of sporting venues, often spread across a wide area. Security plans must account not only for spectators and athletes, but also for international dignitaries and politicians.

Meeting these demands ultimately depends on having venues and infrastructure in place that can support an event of this magnitude. In LA, the path to the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games is being shaped by a long‑term, intentional strategy — one that prioritizes upgrading and modernizing existing assets rather than building one‑off Olympic facilities. Over the past several years, the city and venue owners have invested in infrastructure that already serves residents, visitors, performers and athletes every day, ensuring those spaces are flexible and ready to perform on the world’s largest stage in 2028.

“The best strategy for the City of LA is to reuse something that already has great bones,” says Thai Nguyen, the district manager for PCL’s Los Angeles Buildings office. “Land is so hard to come by in LA, so it doesn’t make sense to completely redevelop venues when the structures are strong and can be upgraded to meet new demands.”

This approach reflects a broader shift in how host cities prepare for mega‑events, emphasizing sustainability, legacy and community benefit over temporary spectacles.

LA’s approach aligns closely with the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) evolving host‑city philosophy, which emphasizes reuse, adaptability and long‑term legacy over large‑scale, ground-up construction. This shift reflects lessons from past Games, where venues built for a single moment often struggled to find meaningful use once the spotlight moved on.

Gary Birdsall, vice president of PCL’s sports division, has seen that evolution firsthand. His experience includes supporting Summer Olympic bid efforts for two United States cities and working as a consultant to the State of Utah during the 2002 Winter Olympics, which were hosted by Salt Lake City.

“One of the key things the IOC looks at now is legacy,” Birdsall explains. “They don’t want to see cities build 100 percent new facilities that have no use once the Games are over. That’s proven not to work. The question has become: what’s left behind, and how does the city benefit long after the Olympics are gone?”

LA is uniquely positioned to answer that question. As Birdsall notes, the region already possesses a significant share of Olympic‑ready venues within a relatively compact geography. The strategy, then, is not about building more, but about making existing venues work better through thoughtful upgrades, operational planning and temporary overlays. Together, these choices reflect a host‑city built for long-term value.

Many of the venues set to host Olympic events are already deeply embedded in the city’s cultural fabric. Facilities such as the Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC), Crypto.com Arena, Dignity Health Sports Park, Dodger Stadium, and BMO Stadium host everything from professional sports and concerts to conventions and civic events year‑round. Dignity Health Sports Park, home to Major League Soccer's LA Galaxy, also serves as an official U.S. Olympic Training Site, with athletes from track and field, cycling, soccer, tennis and rugby regularly training there.

The continued care, renovation and modernization of these venues have largely been guided by the venue owners, operators and the broader community’s recognition of their long‑term value to LA. Public and private stakeholders have invested in these facilities to keep them competitive and adaptable as the entertainment and events landscape evolves.

At the LACC, for example, modernization efforts are focused on improving how the space works — connecting exhibit halls, adding more flexible meeting and multipurpose areas, and making the experience better for attendees.

“The Convention Center is one of the city’s primary economic engines, especially for downtown LA,” says Joe Zwain, a PCL project manager on the LACC project. “This space supports downtown hotels, restaurants and local businesses throughout the year. Modernizing and expanding an active, heavily used venue allows LA to build on an existing economic ecosystem and continue to deliver value well beyond 2028.”

Other venues reflect a similar philosophy. PCL’s continued upgrades at signature venues such as Crypto.com Arena and Dodger Stadium have been prioritized by ownership groups to support longevity, fan experience, and operational performance — reflecting the essential role these venues play in LA’s cultural identity. That sustained investment has ensured these facilities remain world‑class, adaptable spaces capable of hosting everything from everyday events to major global events.

Collectively, this long‑term stewardship has positioned LA for Olympic success. With its most iconic venues thoughtfully maintained and modernized over time, the city enters 2028 not needing to reinvent itself, but ready to showcase the infrastructure it already relies on every day.

For millions of Olympic visitors, their experience of LA will begin at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). As one of the busiest airports in the world, LAX is preparing to support a significant increase in international travel during the Games.

Major PCL projects such as the Midfield Satellite Concourse (MSC) North, completed in 2021, and the Consolidated Rent‑A‑Car (ConRAC) Facility, completed in 2023, were designed to strengthen the airport’s long‑term performance. MSC plays a critical role in that strategy by expanding LAX’s capacity to accommodate international inbound and outbound flights, an essential consideration for the Olympics that will welcome athletes, officials, media and spectators from around the world.

“What sets PCL’s work at LAX apart is the emphasis on long‑term performance, not short‑term milestones,” says Allen Hill, a PCL general superintendent with extensive experience on LAX construction projects. “MSC wasn’t just about adding gates or improving the passenger experience; it was about creating systems that can evolve and adapt as airline operations, security requirements and passenger volumes change. At an airport that never shuts down, resilience isn’t an option; it’s essential.”

The ConRAC facility supports that same long‑term vision, consolidating rental car operations into a single, centralized location. By eliminating the need for multiple off‑site rental facilities and shuttle routes circling the airport, the ConRAC helps reduce congestion on surrounding roadways, streamlines the arrival and departure experience for travelers, and improves overall traveler experience. Together with the Automated People Mover — a forthcoming electric train that will provide access to LAX terminals, pickup and drop-off curbs, parking, the regional Metro rail system, and ConRAC — these investments establish a “transit first” strategy for the Olympic Games, prioritizing high-capacity, efficient transportation over individual vehicle trips.

These projects ensure LAX can handle the surge of Olympic travel while continuing to serve Southern California residents and travelers for decades to come.

Housing is another critical piece of Olympic infrastructure, and LA is once again relying on existing assets to meet demand. UCLA’s campus housing will serve as the Olympic Village, temporarily welcoming athletes and media. Specifically, the Southwest Campus Apartments, Gayley Heights Apartments, and the Olympic and Centennial Residence Halls — each delivered by PCL — will house Olympic athletes  before returning to their primary role supporting students once the Games are complete. 

These residence halls were built to support UCLA’s growing student population, providing modern, community‑focused living environments integrated into the campus fabric. Their ability to seamlessly transition into athlete housing demonstrates how long‑term investments in higher‑education infrastructure can also support global events without sacrificing their primary purpose.

“These aren’t just buildings. They’re places where students will live, study and build lifelong memories,” says construction manager Tiffany Whipple, who worked on the Southwest Campus Apartments and Gayley Heights Apartments. “The fact that they’ll also welcome athletes from around the world in 2028 adds another layer of meaning.”

LA’s preparation for the 2028 Olympic Games is not defined by just about a brief period of time. It is about strengthening the city’s infrastructure in ways that benefit residents, businesses and visitors for generations.

“Residents of Southern California are going to reap the benefits of the Olympics above and beyond the Games, because these are existing structures that get utilized every day,” says Nguyen. “Plus, it’s incredibly exciting to see so many projects we’ve built or renovated play a role on the world’s biggest stage. Being part of what ultimately helped LA earn the Games is something our teams are very proud of.”