Community by community, Australia's capitals are facing the decision of whether to grow up or grow out.
As populations increase, city planners are working to increase population density in selected areas, but often face accusations of making blind "taller is best" decisions.
The Gold Coast has announced its plan to concentrate urban development in the new Southport CBD. 
On Monday Brisbane City Council announced it would debate a development of a 91-storey "vertical village" in the CBD - the third building that will bump its head on Brisbane's nominal ceiling height of 279 metres. 
A forum titled "How are cities responding to urbanism?" will be held at Brisbane's Customs House on   September 1, attracting two of the world's most influential thinkers on tall buildings to Brisbane.
One of the international guest speakers is Ahmad Abderlrazaq, project director of the world's tallest building - Burj Kalifa - in downtown Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
Burj Khalifa fast facts
     828 metres tall to "architectural top"; 829.8 metres to top of spire;   world's tallest free-standing building;   163 storeys;   world's highest occupied living space.    
The second international speaker is Carol Willis, director of New York City's Skyscraper Museum; who will talk about the world trend towards "super-slim" towers.
The forum is sponsored by a group called the Australian Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat - the parent group is based in Chicago - and the Brisbane Development Association.
Brisbane's Renaye Peters, the former chair of the Queens Wharf Precinct, property development manager at Brisbane Airport Corporation, a member of the Urban Land Development Authority and most recently a director at architect's Conrad Gargett will moderate the morning sessions on Australian case studies.
"The symposium is about densification of our cities," Ms Peters said.
"We believe it is time to have a mature discussion on the challenges of the growth of our urban areas," she said.
"And how our buildings respond and how our built environment responds."
Ms Peters said it was wrong to suggest the symposium was simply a think-tank for designers of tall buildings.
"The discussion that we have formed with a range of other speakers is around 'How do our cities respond' in a way that makes them liveable and affordable," she said.
"Some of the great cities around the world have great density, but they are still affordable and they are still liveable."
Brisbane's Lord   Mayor Graham Quirk in   March 2013 said Brisbane needed to review its "ceiling height" of 279 metres, calling for authorities to change the angle flights could arrive in and out of Brisbane's airport.
Cr Quirk - trying to encourage greater density - argued raising the height limit from 279 metres to 300 metres allowed "six extra storeys and an extra $624 million in high rise investment in inner-city Brisbane."
Renaye Peters said the symposium wanted to offer the chance for Brisbane to learn from overseas.
"So, for example, what can we learn from Dubai and what can we learn from New York," she said.
"What are some of the things that we can focus on here in Australia."
Paris is one example of a well-planned mature city that had a viable density - without tall towers - which is relatively affordable, but with viable public transport,  she said.
Brisbane has over the past five years begun this debate, with new urban areas at South Brisbane's Kurilpa Point, the new Queens Wharf precinct being planned and the increasing density of the Brisbane CBD now more obvious.
Increasing city density will make a future underground rail system more viable and the range of debate on how to help fund this infrastructure.
Ms Peters said most planners realised there were different revenue raising models for infrastructure development around the world, many based on the increasing value of land near improved infrastructure.
"The trick is for the government - in particular - is to be able to capture that in such away so they can fund this infrastructure and continue to provide good liveability outcomes," Ms Peters said.
She said planners acknowledged tall buildings generated their own issues and if badly planned could leave the community feeling ignored.
This community sentiment has already been expressed at West End, South Brisbane, Toowong and Woolloongabba.
Similar scenarios in Melbourne, Sydney, the Gold Coast and Brisbane will be discussed at the forum, Ms Peters said.
"It's about urban areas in Australia generally but because we are hosting it in Brisbane we are expecting much of the discussion will be around Brisbane itself."
Renaye Peters' thoughts for Southeast Queensland;
1 - Think of the vision, not so much the detail;
2 - Healthy city precincts need to draw people to them;
3 - Let communities be involved in the planning process;
4 - Fight the "need to be perfect" scenario by letting planning evolve.
"Look at South Bank; it took 25 years for South Bank to be brilliant," Renaye Peters said.
Quick guide
"How are cities responding to urbanism" -   September 1, Customs House. Includes speakers from Sydney (Urban Task) Melbourne (Growcon) and Brisbane and the Gold Coast (Sunland) will discuss individual projects in these cities.
Further information from  Australian Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.
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