The hypothetical scene is what Professor Brendan Gleeson imagined of a future Sydney, in collaboration with the launch of the new television series 12 Monkeys.

 

"These are just examples of the imaginative leaps we are going to have to make in rethinking the entire way our cities are constructed and inhabited," said Professor Gleeson, foundation director of the Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute.

"They are speculations based on my assessment of the interdisciplinary knowledge we have about cities and what we can expect to change about them."

He said the main catalysts for reshaping all Australian cities would be climate change and population growth.

One solution is to move away from the "Dubai-look" in the city landscape, by reverting from large glass tower constructions which demand the constant use of airconditioning, and "reskinning" major built structures.

"The main use of the Harbour Bridge today is transport; in the future maybe there will be some way of using it to catch water or generate energy."

His unique idea suggests coating the bridge in a white-grey solar-absorbing material and constructing large open scoops over its arches to catch rainwater.

Aquaculture farms in Sydney Harbour and green vertical gardens will need to become the norm, while inner city parks will need to be used for capturing and storing water.

While he admitted his predictions for Sydney might be "wild", he said the future would require thinking outside the box.

"It's about the sort of things we are going to have to do to make our cities more resilient and safe in the face of climate change resource depletion and further population pressure."