A homeless man has died after being run over by a garbage truck in a Redfern lane on Monday morning.

Emergency services were called to Bourke Lane about 8am to reports that a man had been struck by a garbage truck.

Police arrived to find the man critically injured. Despite the efforts of emergency services, he died at the scene.

Sydney lord mayor Clover Moore described the man's death as "tragic" and "an incredibly sad situation".

"We have a rough sleeper who has died in a back lane in Redfern, and we have a very shattered council garbage truck driver and staff who are with him," Cr Moore said.