La Rochelle (France)

La Rochelle is a historic coastal city on the Bay of Biscay in southwestern France leading the La Rochelle Agglomération, with roughly 77,000 inhabitants in the commune and about 172,000 in the metro area (~186 km²). Its flat geography and dense urban core favour zero-carbon and active transport planning while the Atlantic coast shapes commuting dynamics. Sustainability and mobility are central to the city’s climate agenda targeting zero carbon by 2040, with transport accounting for a significant share of emissions.

La Rochelle is a pioneer for soft mobility, aiming to densify its cycle network to over 800 km by 2030 and promote walking, cycling, bus, ferry and car-share alternatives. The Yélo multimodal network integrates buses, ferries, bike-share and park-and-ride, including inclusive services like demand-responsive transit and night buses. La Rochelle was also the only French member of the EU PARK4SUMP project on sustainable urban mobility planning and innovative parking strategies, aligning local strategy with broader SUMP principles and behavioural change goals.

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