Abstract: Visions and Pathways 2050 is a new research and engagement program which will explore and articulate visions and policy-technology pathways for a low- to zerocarbon built environment in Australia. The program involves three universities (University of Melbourne, UNSW and Swinburne), CSIRO and a large number of government and industry partners, and has been funded as a four year project of the newly established CRC for Low Carbon Living. Guided by the possibility that a systems-level transformation will be necessary to achieve low- to zero-carbon urban living, the research team aims to track current research, industry and policy intelligence, coordinate with other international foresight and back-casting projects, identify emerging technical and social innovations, and refine a set of visions for a future low- to zero-carbon urban Australia. Each year, two large workshops (in different cities) will deliberate on futures that are seen as desirable and feasible, as well as examine possible pathways to these futures. In this paper we outline the motivation and conceptual framework of the project, concurrent research in the area and the planned phases of the project.