For this Thin Slice, we look at Los Angeles, which will be home to the 2028 Olympic Games. Los Angeles is famous around the world as the car-capital with its attendant gridlocked freeways and long commutes. There is in fact a surprising amount of non-automotive transportation across this sprawling metropolis. While there is feverish activity in the region to try to improve these other modes of mobility, particularly before 2028, this is a huge task.
We move beyond 2028 to look at how multi-modal transportation and mobility systems should work. Taking the iconic Union Railroad station as just one part of our narrative we describe how current and future mobility modes will offer ease, convenience and pleasure to all kinds of LA citizens and visitors at what will become an impressive multi-mobility hub.
We also look at other parts of Los Angeles to see how these future mobility and logistics services will support their residents. We will show how a top chef goes about selecting his day’s menu ingredients with a full array of dedicated mobility services. We will look at what it will mean to be an elderly person moving around LA as well as someone content to lead their normal life in a stress-free routine without needing a car.
Every built environment around the country is different in its transportation needs, and so what works in one will not probably work in another. This narrative around Los Angeles, itself containing hundreds of different characteristics, shows how our work at Mobility Futures Alliance recognizes the extraordinary complexity of designing transportation systems.