Last year, I wrote about how LA's ParkScore had dropped from 80th to 88th out of 100 U.S. cities. This year, I'm sorry to say that we sank even lower — LA is now 90th out of 100.
Last June, Jules Boykoff and I got together at the Hollywood library to chat about Los Angeles as a megaevent epicenter, the city's overall preparedness, and the global agenda of FIFA and the IOC. Just one year later, that conversation feels like a lifetime ago. As LA is invaded by the federal government, and other U.S. host cities are facing similar threats, I thought it made sense to suspend my regularly scheduled programming and book an emergency Torched Talks with Jules, one of the few people I know who is fluent in megaevent geopolitics, closely follows the sports that underpin those relationships — and, as someone who studies protest movements, can also assess the reality of LA's current situation.
🗣️ Torched Talks is an ongoing series of conversations with experts on topics facing LA in its megaevent era. It's free and open to all — simply join the Zoom to watch. I'll post the recording here when it's over. Catch last month's talk featuring LA Commons' Karen Mack
