The pattern of past Olympics shows that people like to enjoy the atmosphere of the city during the games by promenading and exploring the city (Peachtree Street in Atlanta and the old quarter of Barcelona were the ‘heart of the city’ experience in previous games). Bligh Lobb, and subsequently Bligh Voller Nield, was appointed by the Olympic Co-ordination Authority to prepare concept plans for utilisation of Central Sydney at Games time. The Central Sydney area was an important focus for celebrations of the Sydney 2000 Olympics. The Central Sydney area provides a natural heart to the City of Sydney and traditionally hosts major celebrations including New Years Eve, Australia Day and Mardi Gras. The study, working with ten Government agencies, encompassed initial concepts for:

• options for temporary overlay elements
• circulation capacity and demand assessment
• projected activity levels and crowd numbers
• transport and pedestrian issues
• visitor services (F&B, toilets, etc)
• investigation into commercial opportunities
• way-finding and ‘Look of the City’

Bligh Voller Nield devised the concept of ‘Olympics Live’, an idea which is set to become a standard part of the Olympic repertoire (existing urban plazas and parks, in six locations, were set up as communal living rooms with giant video screens, live entertainment stages, ‘help points’ and spectator facilities - a place to enjoy the games as they happened in a spontaneous, live environment. These sites were gathering points for city workers, strolling tourists, and those who wanted to soak up the unique festival atmosphere of the Games.