VEIL was established by the Victorian government in Australia through the Victorian Sustainability Fund, as part of the government's Sustainability Action Statement, 2006. VEIL was first a project of the Australian Centre for Science Innovation and Society at the University of Melbourne. University partners include: Monash University, School of Design; RMIT University, School of Architecture and Design; Melbourne University, Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning and the School of Land and Environment. Collaborating research groups include: Swinburne University Faculty of Design; LaTrobe University (Centre for Sustainable Regional Communities, Bendigo).

In January 2007 the VEIL team, with the Department of Sustainability and Environment on the Victorian government and Sustainability Victoria, organised a week-long visioning process around a 25 year horizon for Melbourne.

45 members of government, drawn from all departments, along with a range of university researchers and 10 designers, considered the 'shape' of Melbourne 2032, focusing particularly on 'systems of provision' of energy, water and food. In the first five hour session the group responded to the document Melbourne 2032 - Looking Back written for the occasion.

Ina series of 'cafe conversations' throughout that first workshop session (following some initial lectures), the participants mapped out ideas for various glimpses of social and cultural life, infrastructure and the economy in 25 years time. Current government targets for reductions in CO2, for water consumption, waste reduction, and so on, were assumed to have been met.

In these initial deliberations the designers acted only as scribes and facilitators. They were:

• Malte Wagenfield (Industrial Design, RMIT University)
• Graham Crist (Architecture, RMIT University)
• Mark Strachan (Industrial Design, Swinburne University)
• Kirsty Fletcher (Architecture, Melbourne University)
• Clare Newton (Architecture Melbourne University)
• Mark Richardson (Industrial Design Monash University)
• Stephen Mushin (Architect and Industrial Designer)
• Michael Trudgeon (Architect and Industrial Designer)
• Chris Ryan (VEIL Director)
• Dianne Moy (VEIL project coordinator)
• Ferne Edwards (VEIL Sustainable Cities Officer)

The work from the first session became the 'brief' for a design studio for the next four days. The designers, supported by a local design consultancy, Crowd Productions, turned the ideas of the workshop into visions - glimpses - of new products, services, urban development and peoples lives. The research experts who attended the first workshop session were encouraged to drop in to the design studio and most spent many hours there over those four days. They included:

• Prof. Alan Johannson (VTT Finland)
• Alan Pears (RMIT, Melbourne)
• Prof. John Martin (LaTrobe University, Bendigo)
• Suzie Goldsmith (University of Melbourne)
• Dr Michael Arnold (University of Melbourne)
• Dr Peter Christoff (University of Melbourne)
• Dr Cameron Tonkinwise (University of Technology, Sydney)
• Mike Hill (Moreland Energy Foundation)
• Dr David Turnbull (University of Melbourne)
• Michael Oke (ICLEI)

The initial 2032 visions were then presented back to the same workshop and discussed and debated by the participants in another five hour 'cafe conversation'. Further design studio work then ensued and the resultant glimpses of M2032 can be found on this web site.