The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the largest event North America has ever hosted, and the operational impact on U.S. cities will be unprecedented. Atlanta, Boston/Foxborough, Dallas/Arlington, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, the Bay Area, and Seattle will see dramatic increases in mobility activity, permitting volume, inspections, safety operations, volunteer staffing, and daily constituent needs.

Across these cities, one message is clear: Existing processes will not withstand World Cup level demand. Not if they still rely on PDFs, email chains, shared inboxes, manual routing, legacy systems, or disconnected departmental workflows.

This is not a matter of preference. It is a matter of readiness. To operate smoothly under event-scale pressure, cities must modernize now. Government workflow automation is the operational infrastructure required to keep services moving when the world arrives.

Why Host Cities Need Workflow Automation Before 2026

Mega-events put pressure on every city system at once. Large crowds, transit surges, temporary vendors, contractors, safety operations, multilingual communication needs, and real-time decision making converge into a single, high-intensity operational environment.

The risk is not a single department failing. It is the compounding effect of many manual processes buckling under high volume:

• Permits that take too long to route

• Inspections delayed because teams cannot work from the field

• Emergency coordination slowed by fragmented intake

• Background checks stuck in review queues

• Funding documentation spread across systems

• Transit and mobility updates shared inconsistently

• Incident reports that do not sync across agencies

• Staff overwhelmed by email-based workflows

The World Cup exposes weaknesses already present in city operations. Modernization through workflow automation is the only way to close these gaps before demand spikes.

To operate smoothly under World Cup conditions, cities must be ready before the whistle. That begins with modernizing the workflows that carry the highest operational risk and volume.

The High-Impact Use Cases Cities Can Modernize Now

These are the workflow automation use cases host cities are prioritizing to prepare for World Cup level operations and to strengthen long-term service delivery.

1. Permitting, Inspections, and Safety Compliance

High-volume permitting for vendors, right-of-way access, temporary structures, food service, and event setups requires fast routing and mobile inspections. Cities need automated approvals, digital checklists, and real-time updates to prevent bottlenecks.

2. Emergency Coordination and Resource Requests

During large events, incident intake, communication, and resource deployment must move quickly. Automated workflows ensure information reaches the right responders, leadership has visibility, and teams stay aligned as conditions change.

3. Background Checks for Staff, Contractors, and Volunteers

Event staffing surges demand fast, accurate screenings. Digital applications, automated routing, and integrated reviews help ensure safety and compliance without overwhelming internal teams.

4. Incident Reporting Across Stadiums, Transit, and Public Spaces

Mobile incident reporting with photo uploads, conditional logic, and real-time routing gives cities the accuracy and speed required to manage spikes in safety and operations issues.

5. Multilingual Constituent Forms

With millions of international visitors, cities must provide ADA-compliant, multilingual access to forms and services. Automated translation ensures equity and clarity across all digital workflows.

6. FEMA Funding Applications and Post-Award Reporting

Federal preparedness funds require accurate documentation and timely submissions. Workflow automation ensures grant applications, approvals, and reporting run smoothly with audit-ready records.

7. Vendor and Specialty Licensing

Pop-up vendors, temporary businesses, and event partners require fast, compliant licensing. Automated workflows reduce administrative burden while maintaining safety and quality standards.

8. Temporary Food Service Permits

Health departments must process temporary food vendors quickly. Digital applications, document uploads, and field inspection tools streamline the entire process.

9. Volunteer Management

Host cities will rely on thousands of volunteers. Automated registration, waivers, scheduling, communication, and background checks help programs scale without overwhelming staff.

10. Infrastructure and Field Inspections

From transit hubs to stadium-adjacent infrastructure, mobile inspections keep cities organized and responsive. Automated checklists and offline functionality support teams anywhere.

11. Mobility and Street Operations Approvals

Event routes, street closures, pedestrian management, and transit surge plans require timely approvals. Workflow automation ensures mobility changes are coordinated across departments.

12. Continuous Case Management

Large events create long-running operational cases across departments. Real-time updates, shared dashboards, and mobile access keep teams aligned before, during, and after the event.

Modernization Is the Backbone of Event Readiness

Cities do not need massive new systems. They need smarter workflows that can be deployed quickly, configured securely, and scaled for high-visibility events.

Government workflow automation provides:

• Speed

• Transparency

• Mobile capability

• Interdepartmental coordination

• Consistent, audit-ready processes

• A scalable foundation for everyday operations

These benefits extend far beyond 2026 and strengthen service delivery and operational resilience well into the future.

The cities that modernize now will be the ones ready before the whistle when global demand arrives. With the right workflows in place, your teams can operate confidently, efficiently, and at event scale.

Meet With a Workflow Expert

If your city is preparing for the World Cup or supporting operations for one, now is the time to modernize.

SimpliGov helps state and local government agencies deploy the workflows that matter most, including permitting, inspections, background checks, emergency coordination, mobility approvals, multilingual access, and more.

Request a demo and see how quickly we can help your organization launch the workflows needed to operate at World Cup scale.