Officials are working to ensure Lawrence can capitalize on the expected influx of visitors for the 2026 World Cup in Kansas City without impacting necessary everyday services for local residents.
The mass of international fans descending on Lawrence will be a strain on local infrastructure, including housing, transportation and public safety.
In preparation, local agencies formed a unified command, similar to what was used during the response to COVID-19. The unified command includes the City of Lawrence, Douglas County, eXplore Lawrence, the University of Kansas and other organizations throughout Douglas County.
The World Cup is expected to bring thousands of international fans and millions of dollars to the Kansas City area next summer. Six matches including a quarterfinal match will be played between June 16 and July 11, 2026 at Arrowhead Stadium.
KC2026 is the organization in charge of planning for the World Cup in Kansas City. CEO Pam Kramer called the World Cup the “biggest event to ever happen in Kansas City,” and she has called Lawrence one of the “most engaged” communities in the region.
The impact could be even bigger if Lawrence is selected to host an international team as a team base camp.
Kramer said Lawrence has “good odds” of being chosen as a base camp. She said in April the base camp catalog had 50 sites — including Rock Chalk Park — and there will be 48 teams competing in the World Cup.
Here is a look at some of the areas where local officials have begun preparations:
Housing
Lawrence officials are planning to ensure an influx of fans have a place to stay during the World Cup while ensuring it doesn’t interfere with the housing needs of community members.
Jeff Crick, Lawrence’s director of planning and development, said the biggest challenge is meeting the increased housing need. He said officials have been laying the groundwork to ensure preparations are solid.
The city is working in tiers of priority for housing. The first priority is ensuring the World Cup doesn’t impact housing for community members. After that, focus turns toward housing first responders, then soccer team personnel and finally, visitors and fans.
He said they are still exploring possible adjustments the city could make to support the housing needs of the World Cup.
Officials are studying some possible impacts, including a potential increase in short-term rentals. Some community members previously said they were concerned about an influx of short-term rentals after the city’s new land development code went into effect in April.
According to the Kansas City Star, some cities in the area have already loosened regulations on short-term rentals in preparation for the World Cup.
Crick said officials are focused on ensuring any long-term effects of the World Cup are positive.
Additionally, accessory dwelling units, permitted in the new land development code, could be used to house fans. These units are small, usually permanent structures built on an existing single-family lot. Crick said these are typically thought of as a more long-term option, but could be used by some community members to house visitors.
Transportation
Lawrence Transit Director Felice Lavergne, who is leading the city’s transportation planning for the World Cup, said the plan is to encourage use of existing city bus infrastructure, as well as regional connections like Greyhound and the K-10 Connecter. She said Central Station will serve as a key hub.
Lavergne said no funding is currently available for expansion, so they are focused on managing existing infrastructure as efficiently as possible.
She said they’re recommending new visitors use apps like Google Maps to help navigate the different transit lines.
In preparation for the increased visitors, local workers will participate in specialized safety training.
Experiences
Ruth DeWitt, with eXplore Lawrence, is leading planning to make sure Lawrence is a desirable place for international fans to stay and visit. Plus, she wants to craft events that help the Lawrence community enjoy the World Cup’s proximity.
She said the goal is to present the city as a place where people can have fun, watch matches and enjoy annual local events like the Busker Festival and Lawrence PRIDE.
Lawrence has a rich history that can be shared with visitors, she said, plus good food and drink options.
Planning for events is underway and hopefully will include sponsorship opportunities for local businesses, she said. The goal is for events to both create enticing environments to watch matches but also highlight other local events happening in the summer.
“We don’t just want them to come here and enjoy themselves,” she said. “We want them to visit and want to come back.”
A website is in development to help guide residents and local businesses with important info during the World Cup.
“We’ve made lots of progress, and yet there are so many things to decide,” DeWitt said. “It might feel like it’s inching closer, but to us it feels like it’s barreling towards us … Lawrence and Douglas County is rising to this challenge as it has so many times before. I know we are going to showcase ourselves to the world as a great place to be.”
Public safety
An influx of people in the region likely means an increased need for public safety protections to manage the swath of visitors.
Laura McCabe, a spokesperson for the Lawrence Police Department, said the agency is already working to assess equipment, technology and communication systems that could become strained during the World Cup. She said they would tailor plans if Lawrence was selected as a base camp. Depending on which team chose Lawrence, the expected number of fans could vary widely.
Kansas City has already made plans to double its police staffing with outside officers for the World Cup.
McCabe said LPD will likely request assistance from outside agencies, and will be available to help others depending on the circumstances.
LPD is just one agency involved in preparations for public safety. Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical, Lawrence Memorial Hospital and more will also assist next summer.
She said some likely challenges will be to secure sites in town without disrupting the community, providing safety to large groups of fans during events and continuing to provide a safe and secure community for residents who live and work in Lawrence.
“We’re confident this early prep work will allow us, as a law enforcement agency, to focus our attention on developing robust safety plans once we have detailed information on the events and needs of our community,” McCabe said.
Transient guest tax
Lawrence city commissioners have discussed the possibility of raising the transient guest tax, a sales tax on hotels and short-term lodging.
At a July meeting, commissioners asked city staff to hold a discussion on the tax in the near future. That’s planned for Aug. 19, according to a list of future agenda items.
Increasing the tax would bring greater benefit to the city from the 2026 World Cup. Currently, Lawrence’s transient guest tax is 6%. Other area cities, like Olathe and Wyandotte, have discussed raising their transient guest taxes.
According to eXplore Lawrence director Kim Anspach, the tax is paid by visitors, not residents. She called it a “vital tool for generating new local revenue.”
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Cuyler Dunn (he/him), a contributor to The Lawrence Times since April 2022, is a student at the University of Kansas School of Journalism. He is a graduate of Lawrence High School where he was the editor-in-chief of the school’s newspaper, The Budget, and was named the 2022 Kansas High School Journalist of the Year. Read his complete bio here. Read more of his work for the Times here.
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