I was fortunate enough to be in Sydney when the 2000 Olympics were on. The city was truly alive and looked great. A huge amount of effort went into making the city look its very best. The people on the street had that buzz, that sense that something big was going on. Little work was done and most of the day revolved around trekking out to various events or following them on TV. The organisers did a great job in every aspect, from transport to venues to organisation.

It just makes me glad I don't live in Beijing. From the SCMP:

Beijing Mayor Wang Qishan yesterday defended the mass relocation of people for the 2008 Olympic Games, saying it was necessary if the capital was to realise its Olympic dream...

He said problems such as transport and public hygiene were all pressing issues the government must address, along with water and electricity supplies and educating the man on the street not to walk around the city wearing only trousers...

However, he defended the need to change the capital, saying the remake - which will affect more than 350,000 households, or about 1.1 million residents - was necessary because many houses were run-down. "To have a new Beijing and Olympics, it is impossible not to demolish houses," Mr Wang said.