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The university of Lorraine is characterized by its large size and unique geography. It is an establishment that has no equivalent in the French landscape of higher education; an intensive European and international research university, it is also deeply rooted in the communities surrounding it. Spread across nearly fifty different sites, its geographical dispersion can be perceived as a disadvantage, as resources are spread thin. But this unique characteristic has led the university to adopt an innovative strategy to transform constraints into opportunities. This article aims to present the reticular approach to geography—understood as the engagement of a set of heterogeneous actors with an interest in training, research, innovation, and student life—adopted by the university of Lorraine, specifying the modalities of its implementation and its initial results.