Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris, interim dean of UCLA Luskin and a distinguished professor of urban planning, was one of several public intellectuals enlisted by the Los Angeles Times to describe “The Real L.A.” ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games the city will host. “The flashy Hollywood imagery of L.A. is often what the world sees. It’s the CityWalk and the Disneyland versions of sanitized public spaces,” Loukaitou-Sideris wrote. “This imaginary world gives you elements of our streets and public spaces, but a lot of the reality of what is out there — the real people going about their everyday lives, the street vendors, the unhoused — is missing.” She called on the city and its residents to focus on the multiple identities and cultures that make L.A. unique. “We have a city that is a fusion, a mix of many things. It would be great if we could highlight our collection of diverse neighborhoods and not show only the cliches or put everything under a bright, sanitizing light.”