Mushrooms and endives grown in underground garages in Paris

In Paris, as in many European cities, the number of cars is declining, which is leaving a vast amount of underground car parks empty. With its start-up project called “La Caverne”, Cycloponics, founded by Jean-Noël Gertz and Théo Champagnat, is reclaiming these urban territories and using them as a way of growing plenty of organic vegetables. Although growing 200 kilos of organic vegetables every day to deliver to local grocery stores within Paris would seem like quite a challenge, have already taken it upon themselves since 2017, Euractiv reports.

At Porte de la Chapelle in Paris, the two have set up a 3,500 m2 urban farm located underground, in a former car park.

The company delivers organic groceries every day, thanks in particular to a fleet of 20 cargo bikes.

This project was made possible by the particular skills of the two founders. Gerst is a thermal engineer by training, while his partner, Champagnat, is an agronomist. Everything is calculated to ensure optimal growth. The air is saturated with moisture, the endives grow in the dark, and the mushrooms get a few LED lights.

– We need very precise temperature conditions to control diseases and grow organic vegetables. So in a car park, it’s mainly about climatic engineering. You have to reproduce autumn all the time: a lot of humidity, but also reinforced ventilation – explained Gerst.

The vegetables grow in the car park’s second basement, where the temperature remains stable in the event of a heatwave or extreme cold. Farming in car parks also makes it possible to better resist the climate crisis. Parasites and other insects, for instance, are rather rare in the subsoil.

The project has, in fact, already aroused the interest of other European capitals, but for the moment Cycloponics is rather aiming to expand towards Bordeaux and Lyon, Euractiv adds.

Cycloponics

Jean Noel Gertz

Theo Champagnat

Paris

Porte de la Chapelle

Bordeaux

Lyon

underground car parks

underground garages

growing organic vegetables

organic vegetables

organic farm

mushrooms

endives

air moisture

LED lighting