Today some 75% of Europeans live in urban areas and around 85% of the EU’s GDP is generated in cities. So how do cities fit into Europe 2020 strategy for smart, sustainable, and inclusive growth ? Smart and sustainable cities aim to better use information and communication technologies (ICT) to manage city services, infrastructure and the urban environment to achieve this.So what projects might help cities become smarter and more sustainable? What financial, social, economic, and environmental returns on investment might be possible? And how may strategic investment vehicles like JESSICA’s Urban Development Funds provide targeted support? These are just some of the questions to be discussed at this conference.