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[00:00.42] In an underground car park in Paris, I encountered something I didn't expect.

[00:04.93] I had to wipe the spores off my camera.

[00:11.04] I was in a huge mushroom farm.

[00:19.54] So why was it down here?

[00:29.10] When housing blocks like this sprouted up in Paris in the 1960s and 70s, it was common practice to also build underground parking for residents.

[00:37.07] So beneath Paris, there are millions of square meters of car park.

[00:47.16] But car ownership is in steady decline in Paris, a trend city authorities are keen to encourage.

[00:53.27] And thanks to technology, there are new ways to get around the city.

[01:01.51] Some underground car parks now find themselves surplus to requirements.

[01:07.09] City officials have been running competitions to find new leases of life for them.

[01:12.13] One of the winners of these was urban farmers, Cycloponics.

[01:15.85] They've rejuvenated three car parks in Paris.

[01:19.57] This one in La Chapelle used to be a no-go area, used by drug dealers and prostitutes.

[01:28.07] But now the space is blooming.

[01:33.38] The conditions down here are perfect for their main crop, oyster, shiitake and white button mushrooms.

[01:40.29] They also grow chicory.

[01:42.41] They're a northern French delicacy that can grow in the dark.

[01:46.40] The harvest is sold through nearby organic grocery stores.

[01:50.65] It means urban food is grown and consumed within a short distance.

[01:54.37] This cuts the pollution that comes with transportation.

[01:57.82] In France, there are lots of regulations around operating a business underground, not least for safety reasons.

[02:04.20] Other businesses have had applications turned down.

[02:10.57] But it has been possible to get permits for this type of farming.

[02:15.35] And now, more car parks are being renovated like this in cities across France.