Ask Them First: What Paris Taught Us About Whose Expertise Counts

In 2023, a coalition of 80+ organizations formed to document every displacement, every broken promise, every cascading health crisis Paris's Olympic planning caused. They weren't just opponents. They were architects of a better approach. Los Angeles has two years to decide which version of this story it will tell.

2028 OlympicsPaul AsplundApril 14, 2026Olympics2028, HousingJustice, Homelessness, Los Angeles, Displacement, Paris Olympics, Mega-Events, Co-Design, LivedExperience, Community Power, Radical Hospitality, Encampment Sweeps, Housing Policy, ChangeWell, Le Revers de la MedailleComment

What Paris Taught Us, and What LA Could Still Accomplish

On the morning of July 26, 2024, Paris opened its Olympic Games with a ceremony that stretched the length of the Seine. Millions watched. A woman in irregular housing watched from inside a squat she was afraid to leave. What her story tells us about Los Angeles in 2028.

2028 OlympicsPaul AsplundApril 5, 2026Olympics2028, Housing Justice, Homelessness, Los Angeles, Displacement, Paris Olympics, Mega-Events, Housing Policy, Encampment Sweeps, Radical HospitalityComment

What If We Gave People Jobs Instead of Excuses? Lisbon's Model and What LA Should Adopt

Lisbon built a restaurant where people experiencing homelessness do the cooking and serving — and 68% landed permanent jobs. LA has the workforce crisis, the funding tools, and the Olympic deadline. What we're missing is the will to connect the dots.