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As part of the 2025 Excellence in Road Safety Awards, Lyon Métropole has been awarded the prize under the category ‘Urban Road Safety’,recognising its work to make areas around secondary schools safer and more welcoming for young people. This initiative is part of the REALLOCATE project, which brings together European partners to reimagine urban mobility and create healthier, more inclusive public spaces.

In this interview, Sylvie Giagnorio, Project Manager for Walkable Cities and Shared Public Spaces at Lyon Métropole, explains how the team has combined behavioural research, data analysis and participatory design to improve safety around secondary schools. She also reflects on how being part of the REALLOCATE project has helped enrich and amplify these efforts.

Could you describe the context of the work for which Lyon Métropole is being recognised, and how the REALLOCATE project contributes to these efforts?

This project aims to secure and improve the areas surrounding secondary schools in the metropolitan area. It aims to ensure that the areas surrounding secondary schools are safer but also more user-friendly, based on behavioural habits of secondary school pupils. The REALLOCATE project and all of the project partners have made it possible to explore new issues, disseminate the developed approach and enrich it with new learnings.

What specific measures or initiatives have been implemented to improve safety around secondary schools?

The project was divided into two phases: a phase of issue identification and an operational phase.

The approach was developed based on studies focusing either on the intersection of several indicators (such as the number of accidents, the speed of traffic, average traffic volume), an accidentology study, and in parallel with this approach, two sociological studies conducted by the urban planning agency aimed at better understanding the habits and behaviour of secondary school pupils. A more operational phase involving development and safety measures, as well as awareness-raising among secondary school pupils, was then launched with a programme worth nearly €4 million, with a goal of widening of pavements and bus platforms, creation of school courtyards with sufficient capacity to accommodate groups of teenagers, installation of speed bumps, securing of pedestrian crossings, and creation of meeting zones. This stage relies on the constant involvement of pupils, who are called upon to participate actively in the project. Around twenty school areas have been developed in this way.

What do you think about this project being a finalist for the Road Safety Excellence Awards?

The Lyon Métropole's experiment is an exemplary initiative in that it aims to reduce the risk of accidents among a group of people who, because of their age, are discovering public spaces independently and without their parents.

It is therefore essential to provide this group with public spaces where they can learn how to use the city in the longer term. Being a finalist for this award can help to highlight this policy, raise awareness of it among urban planners, and ensure that the needs of teenagers are taken into account in the same way as those of younger children in school zones.

In your opinion, what distinguishes Lyon Métropole's approach from other road safety initiatives?

The ‘en vie demain’ (alive tomorrow) approach, inspired by the Vision 0 adopted in 2023, is based on data analysis to target the most vulnerable audiences, behaviours and locations. And even though the Lyon Métropole has no leverage other than planning changes within its remit, it incorporates a sociological approach based on usage into its projects, taking into account the specific profiles of users.

What has been the reaction of the local community, particularly pupils, parents and residents, to the new security measures put in place around secondary schools? 

The Métropole has received very positive feedback from users, particularly secondary school headteachers and pupils themselves, who are very satisfied with the new facilities. 

In fact, the Metropolis is receiving an increasing number of requests from secondary school headteachers, mainly for urgencies such as securing pedestrian crossings or installing speed bumps. 

Based on your experience, what advice would you give to other cities wishing to improve road safety around schools?

Understand the needs and habits of the users directly concerned. Know how to incorporate the perceptions of secondary school pupils as an integral part of the development, equally to other demographic groups. Work to disseminate these practices among technicians. Finally, align and raise awareness among stakeholders who often have divergent views (teachers, planners, secondary school pupils) on how to make public spaces safer and more user-friendly.

Through this initiative, Lyon Métropole demonstrates how understanding the real-life experiences of young people can lead to more effective, human-centred approaches to urban safety. By integrating data, sociological insights and active user participation, the Métropole is setting an inspiring example for cities across Europe.

The Excellence in Road Safety Awards 2025 ceremony took place on Thursday, 16 October 2025, celebrating outstanding contributions to safer mobility.