A third place dedicated to urban mobility in Lyon: Le Grand Plateau, what’s it all about?

In June 2022, Le Grand Plateau opened its doors in Lyon, meeting a growing need for collaborative spaces dedicated to soft mobility. Its goal is ambitious: “To become a benchmark venue, open to all, lively and equipped to create, produce and accelerate the use of bikes and micro-mobility.”

But what really sets the Grand Plateau apart from other coworking spaces or bike workshops? It’s a true ecosystem where entrepreneurs, associations, craftspeople, designers, researchers and soft-mobility enthusiasts meet, all driven by the same goal: reinventing the way we get around cities.

A thriving ecosystem

When it opened, the Grand Plateau had 8 pioneering residents. Today, 35 of them bring this one-of-a-kind third place to life, a sign of the growing enthusiasm for alternative mobility in Lyon.

Its manifesto is clear:

“To welcome, connect and bring together the players and projects of the bike and micro-mobility ecosystem of the Métropole de Lyon so they can grow together.”

To achieve this, the Grand Plateau relies on a model based on pooling resources:

Collaborative design: Sharing ideas and skills to innovate together.
Group purchasing: Lower costs thanks to pooled orders.
Collective communication: Greater visibility for the ecosystem through coordinated actions.

This model creates a cooperative dynamic that not only supports the success of individual projects, but also the emergence of new solutions suited to the challenges of urban mobility.

A place for innovation, sharing and civic engagement

The Grand Plateau isn’t just a workspace. It’s a laboratory for ideas and experiments, a place where tomorrow’s urban mobility projects are born.

Led by Anne-Gaëlle Clot, the project’s coordinator, the Grand Plateau regularly organizes events to spark innovation and encourage encounters between players in the sector:

Co-creation workshops: to imagine tomorrow’s mobility solutions.
Themed talks: on the challenges and opportunities of micro-mobility in urban areas.
Entrepreneur meetups: to share best practices and develop synergies.
Awareness events: to promote the use of bikes and soft mobility among the general public.

In 2024, for example, the Grand Plateau hosted a memorable event organized by the association “Femmes à Vélos”:

Afterwork “OSEZ entreprendre dans le vélo”, an inspiring get-together where three women entrepreneurs shared their journeys:
- Coralie Gassama – Founder of Keyena, maker of overshoes for clipless pedals.
- Marine Eparvier – Founder of À Fond Gaston, specializing in electrifying traditional bikes.
- Céline Champonnet – Creator of Wilma, a brand of elegant cycling outfits for women.

This event allowed many women to discover the entrepreneurial opportunities in the bike sector, while strengthening the community of urban mobility players in Lyon.

Participatory, cooperative governance

One of the pillars of the Grand Plateau is its participatory governance:

“A place created by members, for members.”

Here, every resident has a say in strategic decisions, fostering collective, horizontal management where everyone can contribute to how the place evolves.

This participatory approach strengthens the sense of belonging to a committed community, where people don’t just work side by side, but build the future of urban mobility together.

Hand-drawn diagram of the Grand Plateau’s governance: member residents, board, committees and working groups

A network of innovative players

The Grand Plateau brings together a wide variety of soft-mobility players, from bike manufacturers to parking specialists, as well as refurbishers and electrification experts.

A few examples of inspiring residents:

REF BIKE: modular, customizable bikes that adapt as your needs change.
SANKA: bikes designed as an alternative to the second car, dedicated to rural areas.
VEFAA: affordable, intuitive, theft-resistant e-bikes, made locally in Villeurbanne.
RUTILEBIKE: refurbished e-bikes for more sustainable and accessible mobility.
TUT TUT: offers premium long-term rental.
JOKER: innovative trailers to carry more by bike.
L’USINE A VELO: an assembly cooperative to speed up the growth of regional manufacturers.

These visionary companies rely on the Grand Plateau to share their knowledge, test new concepts and develop innovative solutions together for softer, more inclusive mobility.

Strong institutional support

The Grand Plateau was made possible thanks to the support of public and private partners:

CARA: Competitiveness cluster dedicated to mobility.
The Métropole de Lyon and the City of Villeurbanne: support for local innovation.
France Tiers Lieux and France Relance: support for the social and solidarity economy.

This support reflects the strategic importance of the Grand Plateau in developing sustainable urban mobility in Lyon.

What’s next?

The Grand Plateau has no intention of stopping there. With a fast-growing community and innovative projects in the pipeline, the venue aims to:

Become a model third place dedicated to soft mobility in France.
Strengthen its role as a project incubator to support mobility startups.
Increase its local impact by working with Lyon’s local authorities and associations.
Host more events and participatory workshops to encourage new ideas to emerge.

In conclusion

Le Grand Plateau is much more than just a workspace. It’s a catalyst for innovation, an urban mobility laboratory, a place to meet and learn.

So, ready to discover this inspiring ecosystem? Feel free to visit the Grand Plateau, take part in its events or join this committed community to imagine the mobility of tomorrow together.

Written by Marie-Charlotte on February 25, 2025