Europe consistently ranks high as having some of the best cities in the world. However, its successes today are the results of past investments and strategic planning. The advent of smart cities—cities that use data to improve the way they work—has created a new inflection point in the development trajectory of cities. The choices European cities make today will have long-term consequences for their future competitiveness, sustainability, and quality of life.

Smart cities have many important objectives: make public transport more practical, ease road traffic, cut carbon emissions and increase energy efficiency, enhance social care for people who are older or disabled, provide government services more efficiently, boost the local economy, cut red tape, and even fight crime. While a number of European cities have begun exploring smart city projects, more should be done to ensure that Europe becomes a global leader in smart cities and that associated industries and firms that support them.

Join the Center for Data Innovation for a conversation with leading experts from industry and government about the future of smart cities and the steps policymakers should take to lead the way in the development of smart cities.

Register online at http://www.datainnovationday.org