So what does the future hold for Beijing? One thing is clear: development will continue at a dizzying pace as it gets ready to host the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. By one estimate, government and private sources will spend US $3.4 billion on preparations for the Beijing Olympics.The organizing committee has revealed that 28 million square meters of city property will be redeveloped in the 2002 to 2008 period.
count down for Beijing 2008 Olympics

The most visible project is the Olympic Park in north Beijing that will house 14 competition venues including the Olympic stadium, the Athletes’ Village and the International Broadcasting Center. The city expects to raise its number of star-rated hotel rooms from 80,000 in 2000 to 130,000 in 2008, a year when some 8.3 million foreign tourists are expected, compared with 3.1 million in 2002. Concurrently, Beijing will step up the development of commercial zones like the Central Business District, the Zhongguancun High-Tech Zone and the Banking and Finance District.

To improve transportation, blueprints call for the expansion of the inner and outer-city expressway systems along with the subway and light rail networks. To lessen the incidences of dust storms and soil erosion, Beijing will build a “Green Great Wall” – a plant large bands of trees and grass. Air pollution will be alleviated by forcing polluting factories to reduce emissions or move out. Faced with a serious water shortage, Beijing will enhance sewage systems and waste treatment facilities and promote water-conservation. Planners have also earmarked US $3.6 billion to upgrade the capital’s fiber optic and cellular networks, and build a digital cable TV infrastructure capable of high definition TV transmissions from all Olympic venues.

In short, the next few years promise nothing less than an enormous overhaul of Beijing. Fortunately for history enthusiasts, an area measuring 5.6km² has been earmarked for preservation in the heart of the city. The conservation effort aims to preserve some traditional hutongs (alleyways), restore ancient sites and monuments and convert the most attractive of them into public museums, thereby expanding the historical areas open to visitors.