The Ballarat City Council's draft plan for the central business district has identified sites in the city's north, south and east that could be used for new flats or townhouses.

They include land used for tennis courts and a car park at the Eastern Oval, and a site that takes in the Dana St Primary School at the corner of Dawson and Dana streets.

The council's CBD plan project manager Brett Davis said there was substantial capacity for medium to high-density housing in the city.

He said Ballarat's predicted population growth and rising fuel costs would, at some stage, make the projects a realistic prospect.

But the decision to develop the sites would ultimately rest with private developers and residents.

"They (developers) will make the decision as to whether this form of accommodation in the Ballarat CBD is economically viable," Mr Davis said.