Human Relations Commission to Hear Update on 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Planning

The Human Relations Commission is scheduled to receive a presentation on the City of Pasadena’s preparations for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games when it meets Tuesday, Aug. 4, with Deputy City Manager Alexander Souto set to brief commissioners on the city’s role and to open a discussion of how the Commission fits into the effort.

The presentation is an information item. Any recommendations the Human Relations Commission develops on the city’s Olympic planning would be forwarded to the Pasadena City Council, which retains final decision-making authority.

The briefing matters to local residents and businesses because it lays out how the Games are expected to impact West Pasadena — bringing international competition to the Rose Bowl, drawing visitors to city hotels, and opening contracting and “shop local” opportunities for area businesses.

The city, the Rose Bowl, and LA28 reached a Games Agreement in March 2025 that establishes Pasadena as a venue city and the Rose Bowl as the venue for Olympic soccer. In Sept. 2025, the city, the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center, and LA28 announced that Olympic diving would be held at the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center. The presentation states that planning for the 2028 Games is in full swing.

On transportation, the presentation outlines that city transportation staff are participating in regional Games mobility planning through the Games Mobility Executives Regional Transportation Assembly and several subcommittees. The city is collaborating with Metro to identify a high-value corridor for first- and last-mile improvements between Memorial Park Station and the Rose Bowl, and has submitted a grant application seeking funding for outreach, design, and construction. It plans to continue seeking funding independently or through partnerships with Metro.

On economic development, the presentation describes efforts to prepare local businesses for potential contracts with LA28, including a contract preparedness workshop, a breakfast with partners from Culver City, Long Beach, and Los Angeles, and a partnership with the Women’s Business Center to launch the ReadyLA! Accelerator Program, with plans to run another cohort.

The city is also supporting businesses in joining local supplier lists and is considering team houses, hosting a country, watch parties in different council districts, Visit Pasadena tourist guides and a special event, and “shop local” partnerships during the Olympics.

On visitor planning, agreements are in place with Pasadena hotel properties to house LA28 stakeholders, stakeholder site visits are underway ahead of hotel assignments later this year, and the Pasadena Convention Center and Civic Auditorium are being positioned for activations and non-competition events.

The presentation also notes a 2028 Games Executive Steering Committee focused on security, participation in major special-events training exercises, lessons drawn from the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup and 2026 FIFA World Cup, and energy coordination through a Games Energy Council.

The Human Relations Commission is scheduled to meet at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 4, in the Jackie Robinson Community Center, 1020 North Fair Oaks Avenue, in Pasadena. For more information call (626) 744-7311 or visit https://www.cityofpasadena.net/commissions/agendas/.