The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, which represents more than 3,000 local members, said: "People need to be encouraged to live in urban areas in order to improve sustainability. Quality mixed used developments with high density are the answer."

Northern Ireland director Ben Collins said other European cities with similar populations to Belfast occupy much smaller areas and are therefore more sustainable.

"Too high a proportion of our population in Northern Ireland currently lives in suburban and rural areas. This means greater distances to travel to workplaces, shops, schools, leisure centres and other social infrastructure and less efficiency in service provision.

"In order to encourage more people to live in urban areas andderive the resulting environmental and economic benefits, high density development achieved through quality taller buildings is essential.

"Tall buildings tend to have a bad name in Northern Ireland due to some of the high rise flats built in the 1960s. However, modern, high quality and innovative design will ensure that taller buildings provide a high quality living environment and are in keeping with the urban landscape."

Last week Mrs Foster said she intends to provide design guidelines on tall buildings that will advise developers and the general public.

She added: "There is an increasing trend in the demand for development to go higher than has previously been the case. Tall buildings can have an immense impact on our landscape, and my announcement will ensure that a more strategic approach is taken to this issue.

"The new guidelines will also ensure that proposals are not simply considered and determined on a purely ad-hoc basis. The guidelines will be a useful tool in helping to shape the form of the development in Belfast over the coming years."

The draft Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan 2015 — into which a public inquiry has just finished — designates nine character areas in Belfast city centre that recognise distinctive aspects of character and development design criteria.

The design criteria includes a series of building height ranges and also recognises the concepts of accessibility and key gateways.

The Obel development, Belfast's tallest building, is currently under construction on the banks of the Lagan and plans are in the pipeline for an even higher building in Great Victoria Street called the Aurora Building. It proposes a building more than 300 feet high with 37 storeys.