The development of high-rise "vertical" schools may be the solution to Brisbane's unprecedented inner-city population growth, according to an urban planning expert.

Inner City North State Secondary College will open its doors in 2020 as Queensland's first vertical school.

The seven-storey building will be constructed on St Paul's Terrace and Brookes Street, at the site of the former Fortitude Valley State School.

According to government figures, over the past 10 years about 5,000 additional students have moved into existing inner-city schools.

More than 3,000 additional students are expected over the next five years.

An artist's impression of the 'vertical' Inner City North State Secondary College, to be in 2020. ( Supplied )

Need for recreation and green space

Lecturer in urban and environmental planning at Griffith University Tony Matthews said vertical schools are the way of the future, but design will need to be considered carefully to cater for green space.

"We'll have to see how building design impacts on [student] learning capacity and what it means for students for example with mobility issues, what it means for access to recreation and green space which are extremely important in terms of maximising the potential of a child's ability to learn," Dr Matthews said.

"What happens to things like sports and sports fields as well?

"There are questions that we'll need to watch and collect data on and try to figure out some answers, but I think the move towards vertical schools is the start of a longer-term development model.

"Fortitude Valley is going to be Brisbane and Queensland's first vertical school, but I don't think it will be the only one."

Children play on the roof of Haileybury College's 'vertical' campus in Melbourne's CBD. ( Supplied )

The school will be the first inner-Brisbane school to be built in 50 years, and it's hoped it will relieve enrolment pressure on nearby Kelvin Grove State College.

It's expected to grow each year to accommodate 1500 students by 2025.

Queensland Education Minister Grace Grace said a sports hall would be built next to the high-rise building and the old Fortitude Valley State School site will be redeveloped into the performing arts building.

It is hoped the new Fortitude Valley college will relieve pressure on other schools close by. ( Supplied )

"It's going to be the most modern, wonderful design for students to enjoy but to also receive a world-class education," Ms Grace said.

"I think this model is going to work very, very well.

"You're going to find that parents, teachers and students are going to love what we build here."

A second vertical school is due to open on Brisbane's southside in 2021.

Rooftop terraces and indoor running tracks

Melbourne school Haileybury opened a ten-storey high-rise city campus at the start of last year.

Haileybury principal Derek Scott said the design had its initial sceptics but has proved very popular.

Minister Grace Grace said the new Brisbane school will include a sports hall and performing arts centre. ( Supplied )

"All of the classrooms overlook the [Flagstaff] gardens and we've put in a pedestrian crossing out the front of the school that goes straight across to those gardens," Mr Scott said.

"We also have terraces on the third and fourth floors, the equivalent of probably about three and a half tennis courts and we're just in the process at the moment of fitting out a rooftop terrace as well.

"As well as that we have an indoor recreation space which includes a running track and capacity to do a whole lot of sports and activities in that area."

Mr Scott said Melbourne required a social infrastructure rethink due to a booming inner-city population, and part of that included schooling.

"This sort of school can work incredibly well, incredibly effectively because students are able to use the facilities around the city area as well," he said.

"It ties them closely into the communities they live in and it's an effective way of doing schooling and making people feel part of a city community."