Imagine a future world of floating cities, submerged metropolises and new desert tracts in which much of Australia has become uninhabitable due to climate change.

What will Australian cities look like as populations continue to grow while non-renewable energy reserves dwindle and fresh water becomes increasingly scarce? And what do Australians need to do now to plan for when that future arrives?

A bold new touring exhibition that has pulled huge crowds around the world opens in Perth next Thursday (November 24). West Australians are invited to experience a ground-breaking 3D glimpse of that future through the eyes of Australia's leading architects, designers and urban planners.

Now and When: Australian Urbanism attracted a record 93,000 visitors when it opened last year at the 2010 Venice Architecture Biennale, and drew another 68,000 viewers when it was exhibited at the Seoul Museum of Art in South Korea last April.

Now West Australians will have their own chance to see "spectacular architectural visions of Australia's potential urban future in 2050 and beyond" using stunning 3D stereoscopic technology that has been overseen by Co-Creative Director Ivan Rijavec and produced by FloodSlicer

The exhibition, hosted by The University of Western Australia's new Urban Design Research Centre in Hay Street, Perth, is presented in partnership with the Australian Institute of Architects and the WA Department of Planning.

The Winthrop Professor Richard Weller, said the "Now" segment contrasts 3D aerial views of three existing Australian urban landscapes with giant mining pits at Kalgoorlie and Newman and "When" presents fantastic futuristic visions of new cities. John Gollings, Co-Creative Director of the exhibition and prominent Australian Photographer, photographed these landscapes at dusk.

"Rapid urbanisation is the single biggest change in Australasia this century," Professor Weller said. "This world-class exhibition will enable West Australians to see for themselves in spectacular 3D imagery what that future might be."

The Perth exhibition will be launched by UWA Hackett Foundation Patron Dr Janet Holmes à Court at 6pm on Thursday November 24 and is open to the public 9am-5pm weekdays and 11am-5pm Sundays from 25 November – 16 December at level 2, 1002 Hay Street, Perth. Entry is free.

Media references

Winthrop Professor Richard Weller (Director, Australian Urban Design Research Centre) (+61 8) 9226-0777

Michael Sinclair-Jones (UWA Public Affairs) (+61 8) 6488 3229 / (+61 4) 00 700 783