Plateau Urbain
Plateau Urbain is a French cooperative (SCIC SA) that operates 50+ transitional urban workspaces (third places) across France, providing affordable temporary-occupation offices and workshops to artists, associations, and social/solidarity-economy organizations, plus consulting for property owners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersParis, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Plateau Urbain does
Plateau Urbain is a French cooperative (Société Coopérative d'Intérêt Collectif, forme anonyme à capital variable, SCIC SA) founded in 2013 by Simon Laisney and headquartered in Paris. It operates transitional and temporary urban spaces — "third places" (tiers-lieux) — that re-activate vacant buildings across Île-de-France, Lyon, Bordeaux, and Marseille, offering affordable workspaces to artists, artisans, associations, social and solidarity economy organizations, and, in selected sites such as Les Grandes Voisines, emergency housing operators. Since inception it has opened more than 50 third places totaling over 60,000 m² and serves approximately 12,000 registered users through its self-service platform at plateforme.plateau-urbain.com. Governance is multi-stakeholder: employees, partners, occupants, and financial supporters hold shares as sociétaires and participate in general assemblies.
The core technology is a web-based marketplace/operations platform for space discovery and application management, complemented by venue operations and on-site project management. Service lines include (1) temporary occupation agreements priced as redevances of €48–€420 per m² per year depending on location and space type, bundling utilities, maintenance, common spaces, and project management; (2) consulting and feasibility studies for municipalities, public institutions, and private developers on transitional urbanism; (3) full-cycle project development and management; and (4) venue hire for events, conferences, and film shoots. The go-to-market is hybrid: a community-led call-for-applications model on the platform for prospective tenants, paired with direct enterprise sales to property owners (Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Mairie de Courbevoie, SPL Marne Au Bois, OFI, Giboire & Galia, COVIVIO) and partnerships with social-housing and channel partners such as Base Commune, MADELUS, and IMBRIK. Marquee projects include Les Grandes Voisines (22,000 m², Lyon), Le BOB (70+ structures, Villeurbanne), La Roche (40+ tenants, Paris 14e), Magma (11,650 m², Arcueil), Dédale (8,200 m², Fontenay-sous-Bois), Elmer (3,200 m², Paris 19e), Censure (Paris 5e), Pixel (6,000 m², Courbevoie, opened February 2026), and the Saint-Lazare Chapel programming in Paris 10e (June–September 2026).
Plateau Urbain firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Plateau Urbain
- Legal name
- Plateau Urbain - société coopérative d'intérêt collectif de forme société anonyme à conseil de surveillance et à capital variable
- Website
- https://plateau-urbain.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Plateau Urbain is a French cooperative (SCIC SA) that operates 50+ transitional urban workspaces (third places) across France, providing affordable temporary-occupation offices and workshops to artists, associations, and social/solidarity-economy organizations, plus consulting for property owners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Plateau Urbain industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Transitional Urban Real Estate Services
- NAICS
- Services to Buildings and Dwellings (5617)
- SIC
- Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)
Keywords
Where Plateau Urbain is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paris
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Plateau Urbain business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Workspace Rental Revenue: Plateau Urbain generates revenue through temporary occupation agreements for workspaces. Occupants pay redevances (contribution charges) that cover fluids (water, electricity, heating, internet), maintenance, access to common spaces and meeting rooms, and project management and animation. Pricing is based on square meter rates ranging from €48 to €420 per m² per year depending on location and space type.
- Consulting and Support Services: The cooperative provides consultancy services to local governments, developers, landlords, and community groups for designing and implementing transitional and temporary urban planning projects. This includes project development and management, studies, and venue hire services.
- Venue Privatization: Spaces are available for private hire for events such as fashion shows, conferences, film shoots, and corporate events, providing additional revenue through one-time rental arrangements.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Standard workspaces at BOB (Villeurbanne) - Cloisonned spaces from 10m² |
| Subscription | Annual | Standard workspaces at BOB - Shared workspaces from 5m² |
| Subscription | Annual | Les Grandes Voisines (Lyon) - Various workspace types |
| Subscription | Annual | Les Grandes Voisines - ERP Formation spaces |
| Subscription | Annual | Césure (Paris) - Soutiens project workspaces |
| Subscription | Annual | Les Gens Jaurès (Paris 19e) - Various spaces |
| Subscription | Annual | Village Reille (Paris 14e) - Various spaces |
| Subscription | Annual | Malraux (Courbevoie) - Various spaces |
| Subscription | Annual | Dédale (Fontenay-sous-Bois) - Various spaces |
| Subscription | Annual | La Multi at Le BOB (Villeurbanne) - Meeting and event spaces |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Plateau Urbain product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Plateau Urbain is a cooperative that activates temporarily vacant buildings across major French cities and rents affordable workspaces to artists, artisans, associations, and social economy organizations under temporary occupation agreements (redevances). It also operates a web-based platform for workspace discovery and applications, and offers consulting, project development, and venue hire services to local governments, developers, and property owners.
Product overview
Plateau Urbain operates as a cooperative offering a portfolio of transitional urban planning services centered on affordable third places across France (Île-de-France, Lyon, Bordeaux, Marseille). Its core offerings consist of a web-based space discovery and application platform, a network of managed third-place venues (Pixel, Magma, Dédale, La Roche, Elmer, Les Grandes Voisines, Césure, Le Bob, and others), and consultancy services including project development, strategic studies, and venue hire. These offerings work together as an end-to-end solution: the platform connects users to available spaces, the managed venues provide affordable workspaces for creative and social economy actors, and the consultancy arm supports public and private clients in designing and operating their own transitional urban initiatives.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Affordable Workspace Rental (Tiers-Lieux) Managed transitional workspaces offered to artists, artisans, associations, social economy organizations, and independents under temporary occupation agreements (redevances) covering utilities, maintenance, common areas, and project management. Available across 50+ third places in Île-de-France, Lyon, Bordeaux, and Marseille.
- Urban Planning Consultancy Services Advisory and support services for local governments, developers, landlords, and community groups designing and implementing transitional and temporary urban planning projects and third-place initiatives across France.
- Project Development & Management Full-cycle project development and management services for transitional urban planning initiatives, including setup, governance, and ongoing operational support for property owners and public institutions.
- Consulting and Studies Strategic consulting and feasibility studies to help organizations define and implement transitional urban planning strategies at metropolitan and local scales.
- Venue Hire (Privatisation) Rental of unique third-place venues for one-off events including fashion shows, conferences, film shoots, and corporate events.
Quantifiable outcome
- 50+ third places opened since 2013
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Plateau Urbain
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Plateau Urbain technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Plateau Urbain partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Grand Lyon MétropolecoreIn 2020, Plateau Urbain partnered with Intermède and Grand Lyon Métropole to help the metropolitan area move beyond initial temporary occupation experiments and define a transitional urbanism strategy at the scale of the entire metropolis. The initiative aims to evaluate impacts and concrete benefits of such projects through practice while fostering collective learning.
- IntermèdecoreCollaborated with Plateau Urbain and Grand Lyon Métropole on defining transitional urbanism strategy for the Lyon metropolitan area since 2020.
- Foyer Notre-Dame des Sans AbricoreHost organization at Les Grandes Voisines in Francheville (Lyon). Manages 5 emergency shelters and work integration programs. Partners with Plateau Urbain to diversify site activities, open it to external users, and create a mixed solidarity third place combining housing, activity spaces, and public reception.
- Fondation Armée du SalutcoreHost organization at Les Grandes Voisines. Provides social housing and employment integration services. Partners with Plateau Urbain to create a mixed-use facility combining emergency accommodation with affordable workspaces and community programming.
- Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations (CDC)majorPublic financial institution owning property managed by Plateau Urbain. CDC properties like Magma in Arcueil (11,650m²) are part of Plateau Urbain's portfolio of transitional urbanism projects.
- Hospices Civils de LyonmajorPublic hospital system in Lyon that owns the former Antoine Charial hospital site where Les Grandes Voisines is located. Partnership enables 22,000m² of mixed-use temporary occupation.
- SPL Marne Au BoismajorLocal public development company managing property at Dédale in Fontenay-sous-Bois (8,200m² building).
- Mairie de CourbevoiemajorMunicipality owning the Pixel site in Courbevoie (6,000m²) opened February 2026, hosting approximately 30 artists, artisans, associations, and social economy organizations for four years.
- OFImajorProperty owner of Elmer site in Paris 19th arrondissement along Canal Saint-Denis (3,200m²), home to 70 facilities.
- Giboire and GaliamajorPrivate property owners of La Roche in Paris 14th arrondissement (4,229m²), now hosting more than 40 tenant organizations.
- COVIVIOminorReal estate company for whom Plateau Urbain and IMBRIK market workshop and commercial spaces at CAP 18, a large business park within Paris.
- IMBRIKminorMarketing partner working with Plateau Urbain on behalf of COVIVIO to market spaces at CAP 18 business park.
- MADELUSminorPartner for the exclusive sale of workshops, offices, and commercial spaces in Ivry-sur-Seine project.
- Base CommuneminorSocial housing organization issuing calls for expressions of interest for spaces dedicated to social impact activities in Paris 13th arrondissement, with Plateau Urbain facilitating the process.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Plateau Urbain competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Deskeo: Deskeo is a French premium flexible-workspace operator (now part of IWG) offering offices, coworking, and meeting rooms across Paris and major French cities. It represents the premium commercial segment that sits at the upper-pricing tier relative to Plateau Urbain's affordable workspace model.
- Wojo: Wojo (formerly Nextdoor) is a French coworking and flexible-office joint venture backed by Icade, Accor, and Colony, with locations across France. It is a well-capitalised commercial incumbent competing in adjacent workspace segments to Plateau Urbain.
- Morning Coworking: Morning Coworking is a French coworking operator with multiple Paris locations targeting independents and small teams. Although commercial in structure, it serves overlapping occupant profiles including freelancers and small associations that Plateau Urbain also targets at its lower-priced third places.
- Multiburo: Multiburo is one of France's largest flexible-office and coworking operators with a national footprint in Paris, Lyon, and other major cities. While operating on a commercial rather than cooperative model, it overlaps with Plateau Urbain in the broader French flexible-workspace market and competes for some premium occupier segments.
Emerging players
- La Cordée: La Cordée is a French cooperative (SCIC) that operates shared workspaces across multiple French cities with a social-inclusion focus. It is comparable to Plateau Urbain as an emerging cooperative player in affordable workspace, though smaller in footprint and urbanism scope.
- Mains d'Œuvres: Mains d'Œuvres is an alternative cultural and workspace third place in Saint-Ouen focused on artistic and digital creation. It is comparable to Plateau Urbain as a smaller-scale tier-lieu operating with a similar mixed-use temporary-occupation model in the Île-de-France region.
Direct peers
- La Halle Tropisme: Halle Tropisme is a Montpellier-based third place operated by a SCIC on a former industrial site, hosting artists, social-economy organisations, and creative enterprises. It mirrors Plateau Urbain's tier-lieu model in a different regional city with similar temporary-occupation economics.
- Yes We Camp: Yes We Camp is a French cooperative (SCIC) operating transitional third places across the Mediterranean basin, with projects in Marseille, Bordeaux, and Saint-Denis. It is the closest pure structural and ideological peer to Plateau Urbain in social-purpose tier-lieu operation and temporary urbanism.
- La Friche la Belle de Mai: La Friche la Belle de Mai is a long-standing cultural and creative third place housed in a former tobacco factory in Marseille. It operates a similar temporary-occupation, mixed-use model combining cultural programming, workspace, and community activities—directly comparable to Plateau Urbain's flagship third-place projects.
- Le 6b: Le 6b is a third place in Saint-Denis operating in temporary occupation of vacant industrial premises, hosting cultural associations, artists, and social-economy structures. It is directly comparable to Plateau Urbain's smaller-scale tier-lieu projects in the greater Paris region.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Plateau Urbain social profiles
Digital presencePlateau Urbain financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Plateau Urbain leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Plateau Urbain funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Plateau Urbain M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Plateau Urbain
What does Plateau Urbain do?
Plateau Urbain is a cooperative that activates temporarily vacant buildings across major French cities and rents affordable workspaces to artists, artisans, associations, and social economy organizations under temporary occupation agreements (redevances). It also operates a web-based platform for workspace discovery and applications, and offers consulting, project development, and venue hire services to local governments, developers, and property owners.
Is Plateau Urbain a public or private company?
Plateau Urbain is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Plateau Urbain founded?
Plateau Urbain was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Plateau Urbain based?
Plateau Urbain is headquartered in Paris, France, in the Europe region.
How does Plateau Urbain make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Workspace Rental Revenue is the primary driver. The others are consulting and Support Services and venue Privatization.
Who are Plateau Urbain's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Deskeo, Wojo, Morning Coworking and Multiburo. Emerging players are La Cordée and Mains d'Œuvres. Direct peers are La Halle Tropisme, Yes We Camp, La Friche la Belle de Mai and Le 6b.
Does Plateau Urbain have an API?
No public API is recorded for Plateau Urbain.
What industry is Plateau Urbain in?
Plateau Urbain's product category is Transitional Urban Real Estate Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGALAC, Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts). Its NAICS code is 5617 and its SIC code is 6531.