Living Cities launches Capital + Culture ahead of 2026 World Cup

Living Cities has launched Capital + Culture to examine who gains ownership and wealth when major events bring investment, tourism, and contracts to a city. The platform debuts as Atlanta prepares for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with a focus on turning global attention into lasting opportunity for local communities. Why it matters: - Atlanta is about to get a surge of global attention, spending, and contracts from the 2026 FIFA World Cup. - Living Cities says the real question is whether that activity creates ownership and wealth for the communities that helped build the city. - The platform targets a long-running gap in American cities: economic activity can grow without building local wealth. What happened: - Living Cities launched Capital + Culture on June 17, 2026. - The national platform is centered on Atlanta as the city prepares to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup. - The announcement frames Atlanta as a place where culture, civic life, and economic influence intersect. - More information is available in the company’s announcement . The details: - Capital + Culture asks who captures value when a city attracts investment, tourism, sponsorships, and contracts. - The platform focuses on questions such as who receives contracts, who gains customers, who acquires assets, and who builds businesses. - Living Cities says ownership is the point where prosperity becomes generational and opportunity becomes legacy. - The group argues that money can move through a city without building wealth inside it. - The announcement says culture can generate billions while the communities that created it remain disconnected from the value. - Joe Scantlebury, president and CEO of Living Cities, said the World Cup should expand ownership, wealth, and access for communities that helped make Atlanta what it is. - The release points to Atlanta’s role as the home of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Congressman John Lewis. - The release also cites Atlanta’s history as a center for movements, democracy, and civic power. Between the lines: - Living Cities is positioning Atlanta’s World Cup moment as more than an event-driven economic boost. - The message is that visibility alone does not equal inclusion. - The platform’s real test is whether global attention can translate into contracts, business ownership, and lasting wealth. - The framing suggests skepticism about economic impact headlines that stop at tourism and attendance. What’s next: - Living Cities will use Capital + Culture to explore how cities can turn major events into broader ownership opportunities. - The World Cup will bring visitors, spending, and headlines, but Living Cities wants the benefits to outlast the tournament. - The key outcome will be whether more entrepreneurs, businesses, and families gain a stake in the value created around the event. The bottom line: - Living Cities is arguing that Atlanta’s next big milestone should not just be attention. It should be ownership.