Air pollution, traffic, crime, noise, time pressure, all seems to challenge the quality of urban life today. What is worst is that social interaction and neighbourhood life – the very aim of gathering into the city – is seemingly loosening day by day. To improve the quality of the urban environment and citizens’ daily life is therefore a growing citizens' and policy concern. The problem is complex, and simple and immediate solutions do not exist. However, there is at least the possibility to stop worsening the situation and reverse the trend in the medium to long term. We can improve again the quality of life in the European cities in the more or less distant future – this is in a nutshell the message of the European Union Research Programme “City of Tomorrow and Cultural Heritage”. But we all need to achieve a common vision of what a more “sustainable city” may look alike, and to be made aware of what alternative options the current R& D activities are going to offer in the near or more distant future.

Citizens must be aware of the sustainability concerns. Even more, they should define “urban sustainability goals” together with the scientific community, and provide their advice on the most suitable and acceptable solutions. The foregoing is what has been done, as a first experiment at the European level, in the “Citizens Conference on the European City of Tomorrow” organized with the support of the RAISE project.

Clear messages emerged from the involved citizens, and we strongly believe that the RAISE approach should be further exploited to let people participate in the EU research policy making process. This will contribute to enhance the awareness and acceptance of innovations by the citizens, while enabling also a possible “change of mind” for the experts and policy makers when confronted with the citizens non-expert views.