Seattle won the World Cup, what did we learn?

Waterfront Park was a popular destination over the past month, especially on July 6. (Michael Smith)

Over the past four weeks, Seattle hosted six World Cup matches featuring teams from eight different countries. Fans from around the world traveled to Seattle to cheer on their team and enjoy the Pacific Northwest. Seattle stepped up to the challenge of hosting 750,000 visitors by implementing temporary changes to make their experiences as wonderful as possible. Before the first kickoff, several outlets ranked Seattle as one of the best World Cup host cities in 2026. Thanks to the Pioneer Square Pedestrian Zone, countless watch parties, and a disregard for parking availability, Seattle showed that it deserved those high rankings. Now that the last match in Seattle is over, it is time to use the experiences from the past four weeks to create lasting changes that all Seattleites can enjoy.

Highlights

While the whole city was abuzz on match days, a few amenities stole the spotlight.

Waterfront Park

Seattle's newest flagship destination was a hit. The park saw over 400,000 unique visitors between June 11 - 21 and likely more than a million people over the past month. The boardwalk and bike lanes were busy, especially on match days, with people shopping/dining, enjoying the views, and checking out the various pop-up events. Alaskan Way was not as busy and was even closed to car traffic temporarily on Monday.

Seattle Sounders FC, Seattle Reign FC, and RAVE Foundation hosted a watch party on a floating barge at Pier 62. The barge had a limited capacity but thousands of people watched the screen from Overlook Walk.

The playground and pop-up events at Pier 58 were a hit! (Michael Smith)Pioneer Square

The oldest neighborhood in Seattle was at the center of the action. Thanks to its proximity to the stadium and Seattle's oldest pedestrianized street, Pioneer Square has hosted watch parties for almost every World Cup match. On match days in Seattle, SDOT pedestrianized about 14 blocks around Occidental Park and the stadium. This allowed people to enjoy the game without worrying about getting hit by a car and let food trucks easily serve customers in the street. In addition to the big screen, Occidental Park featured a mini soccer pitch, beer garden, and lots of restaurants.

People enjoying the Pioneer Square Pedestrian Zone. (Michael Smith)There was always a game underway at the mini soccer pitch. (Michael Smith)Seattle Center

Home of Seattle most iconic landmark, Seattle Center did not disappoint. Seattle Center hosted indoor and outdoor viewing parties, lots of restaurants, and several world-class attractions that made it a one-stop-shop for many visitors. While Seattle Center is a short trek from downtown, the monorail and improved Metro service made it easy to access.

Seattle Center Armory offered an indoor experience with food options nearby. (Michael Smith)Westlake Park

Located in the heart of downtown Seattle, the newly renovated Westlake Park offered a convenient location for many in the city. The park featured comfortable chairs near the screen as well as the usual picnic tables, play structures, and other amenities further back. Food trucks provided a variety of dining options nearby. The Downtown Seattle Association is hosting watch parties throughout July at Westlake Park for various World Cup matches, as well as select games for the Mariners, Storm, Reign, and Sounders.

Westlake Park offered nice seats to watch the match, for those who arrived early enough to snag one. (Michael Smith)Transit

None of the above would have been possible without a robust transit network. King County Metro and Sound Transit went above and beyond to ensure everyone could get to and around Seattle safely, efficiently, and reliability. The USA vs Australia match helped set Link and Water Taxi ridership records. Link carried over 1.5 million trips across the six match days, including a one-day record of 309,000 passengers on Monday, July 6 for the USA vs Belgium match.

Hundreds of thousands of fans used Link to get to the game and other festivities. (Michael Smith)Key Lessons

The World Cup gave Seattle an excuse to try new things. Now, city leaders should take what worked well and implement permanent changes across the city for the benefit of everyone in Seattle.

People Need Community

The clearest observation from the various watch parties around Seattle is the draw to be part of a community. Fans did not sit in the hot sun on the Overlook Walk because it was relaxing, they did so because they were with other fans. The same is true for fans at Pacific Place, Seattle Center, Pioneer Square, the CID, Westlake Park, Pike Place Market, and Pier 62. As many of our interactions with other people have moved online, participating in shared experiences with other people is important. Seattle should continue to host in-person events/watch parties for Seattle's sports teams, movies, and even popular TV shows.

USA vs Belgium watch party at Hing Hay Park. The crowd outgrew the park, causing SDOT to close King St to cars mid-match. (Michael Smith)Parking is Optional

On the busiest days in downtown Seattle this summer, the city reduced the number of parking spots available. Instead of driving, almost everyone walked, biked, or rode transit to get where they were going. The shops and restaurants in Pioneer Square did not lose business because parking was reduced. Instead, they were busier than ever. The same can be true across the city. SDOT should not let parking concerns limit Seattle's potential. If non-driving modes are limited at a specific destination, the city should focus on building up infrastructure to support sustainable transportation options. This can including building safe bicycle infrastructure and/or funding additional Metro service.

Streets are for People

Despite significant improvements in the city's bike network and transit infrastructure, Seattle has been stagnant on almost all pedestrianization efforts. Pike Place Market is in a year-long battle with itself over pedestrianizing the block inside the market. U District Advocate's plan to pedestrianize The Ave for three weekends this summer was rejected by the City (advocates appealed this decision and will have two events in the Fall). Even Seattle's Festival Streets" are open to car traffic 95% of the time in a given month.

The Pioneer Square Pedestrian Zone that SDOT established during match days show that local businesses can survive, and thrive, without vehicle access to their front door. Streets without cars are safer, quieter, and encourage longer visits (meaning more money spent at local shops and restaurants). It is time for Seattle to remove car traffic from more streets in Pioneer Square and in every other neighborhood.