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{{Short description|Exploration of usually hidden or abandoned buildings and structures}}
{{redirect|Draining|other uses|Drain}}
{{redirect2|Urban explorer|urban explorers}}
{{redirect|Urbex|the documentary series|URBEX – Enter At Your Own Risk}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{More citations needed|date=December 2021}}
{{Original research|date=December 2021}}
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{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2018}}
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'''Urban exploration''' (often shortened as '''UE''', '''urbex,''' and sometimes known as ]<ref>{{cite book |title=Access All Areas: A User's Guide to the Art of Urban Exploration |year=2005 |page=223 |author=] |publisher=Infilpress |isbn=9780973778700 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JhJjAAAAMAAJ&q=%22roof+and+tunnel+hacking%22 |access-date=29 August 2022}}</ref>) is the exploration of manmade structures, usually abandoned ruins or hidden components of the manmade environment. Photography and historical interest/documentation are heavily featured in the hobby, sometimes involving trespassing onto private property.<ref name="SFGATE_062008">{{cite news|title=The Art of Urban Exploration|last=Nestor|first=James|date=19 August 2007|work=San Francisco Chronicle|access-date=20 June 2008|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/08/19/CMA4QVBMQ.DTL}}</ref> Urban exploration is also called '''draining''' (a specific form of urban exploration where storm drains or sewers are explored),<ref>{{cite news |title=Forgive us our tresspasses |first=Seth |last=Stevenson |newspaper=] |location=London |date=15 October 2000 |page=105 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/108705598/draining-urban-exploration/ |access-date=31 August 2022}}</ref> '''urban spelunking''',<ref>{{cite news |title=Storm drains vital for a rainy day, but at times they're overwhelmed |first=Sheridan |last=Lyons |newspaper=] | date=6 July 1981 |page=32 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/108537645/storm-drains-vital-for-a-rainy-day-but/ |access-date=29 August 2022}}</ref> '''urban rock climbing''',<ref>{{cite news |first=Michael |last=Scott |date=1 March 1993 |title=Hacking the Material World |magazine=] |volume=1 |number=3 |url=https://www.wired.com/1993/03/tunnelers/ |access-date=29 August 2022}}</ref> '''urban caving''',<ref>{{cite news |title=Circling the Drain |first=David |last=Lipin |magazine=] |date=January 1997 |volume=42 |number=1 |page=18 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wF0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA18 |access-date=29 August 2022}}</ref> '''building hacking''', or '''].'''


The activity presents various risks, including physical danger, the possibility of arrest and punishment if done illegally and/or without permission, and the risk of encountering ]. Some activities associated with urban exploration may violate local or regional laws, certain broadly interpreted ], or can be considered trespassing or invasion of privacy. Encountering ], who are unauthorized occupants in abandoned or unmonitored properties, can lead to unpredictable and potentially dangerous situations.
], under ].]]


==Exploration sites==
'''Urban exploration''' (often shortened as '''urbex''' or '''UE''') is the examination of the normally unseen or off-limits parts of human civilization. Urban exploration is also commonly referred to as "creeping" or ''infiltration,'' although some people consider infiltration to be more closely associated with the exploration of active or inhabited sites. In the USA, it may also be referred to as "draining" (when exploring drains) "urban spelunking", and "urban caving", "vadding", "trolling", "building hacking", "reality hacking" or "]".
]


==Targets of exploration==
{{refimprove-section|date=April 2007}}
Urban explorers often attempt some or all of these subsets of urban exploration.

], ].]]
===Abandonments=== ===Abandonments===
Ventures into abandoned structures are perhaps the most common example of urban exploration. Abandoned sites are generally entered first by locals, and often sport large amounts of ] and acts of vandalism. Explorers face various risks in abandoned structures including collapsing roofs and floors, broken glass, guard dogs, the presence of chemicals, other harmful substances, most notably ], hostile ] and sometimes motion detectors. Some explorers wear ] to protect their airways. Ventures into abandoned structures are perhaps the most common example of urban exploration. Many sites are entered first by locals and may have ] or other kinds of ], while others are better preserved. Although targets of exploration vary from one country to another, high-profile abandonments include ], ]s, ], ], ]s, ], ]s, ], ], ], outmoded and abandoned ]s, ], and ]s.

In Japan, abandoned infrastructure is known as {{nihongo3||廃墟|haikyo}} (literally "ruins"), and the term is synonymous with the practice of urban exploration.<ref>{{cite web | first = Michael | last = Gakuran | title = The Hazards of Haikyo and Urban Exploration | date = 23 March 2010 | url = http://gakuran.com/the-hazards-of-haikyo-and-urban-exploration/ | access-date = 21 June 2011}}</ref> {{nihongo3|||Haikyo}} are particularly common in Japan because of its rapid industrialization (e.g., ]), damage during ], the ], and the ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tokyoweekender.com/2010/05/haikyo-abandoned-treasure/|title=Haikyo: Abandoned Treasure|work=Weekender|date=May 2010|access-date=18 November 2010}}</ref>
]
In ], a large underground facility abandoned since 1992 is ], situated under the {{Lang|sh|]|italic=no}} mountain, near the city of ]. It was the largest ] ] and ] in the ], and one of the largest in Europe. The complex contains tunnels in total length of 3.5 km (2.2 mi), and other large facilities. Nowadays, it is popular for urban exploration, although it is risky due to the possibility of anti-personnel landmines being located in unexplored areas, remnants from 1990s ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Zeljava Airbase |url=http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/zeljava-airbase |accessdate=27 April 2017 |publisher=]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=June 17, 1968 |title=Underground Aircraft Dispersal Bihac Airfield, Yugoslavia 44-50N 015-47E |url=https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB439/docs/Underground-Doc4.pdf |access-date=28 July 2022 |work=] |via=nsarchive2.gwu.edu}}</ref><ref name="lybi">{{cite web |title=Zeljava-jna_jedinice |url=http://www.zeljava-lybi.com/opis_eng.html |accessdate=27 April 2017 |publisher=}}</ref>


Many explorers find the decay of uninhabited space profoundly beautiful, and some are also proficient freelance photographers who document what they see, such as those who document the ] of the former ].<ref>{{cite news|last=Shevchenko|first=Vitaly|title=The urban explorers of the ex-USSR|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-26018424|access-date=12 February 2014|publisher=BBC|date=11 February 2014}}</ref>
Exploration targets vary from one country to another, but some of the more popular or high-profile abandonments include ], ]s, factories, ]s, ]s, ]s, and ]s. Throughout eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, the abandonments also include all forms of housing, a testament to the swift migration of people after the collapse of communism. Also, due to a marked lack of governmental support of historical monuments under the various communist regimes, some structures may be centuries old, from various architectural epochs and still freely accessible in their unrenovated states.


Abandoned sites are also popular among ], ], ], ], ], and ].
Many explorers of abandonments find the decay of uninhabited spaces to be beautiful; many of these explorers are also photographers. Some abandonments are heavily guarded with motion sensors and active security. Others are more easily accessible and carry less risk of discovery. Abandonments are also popular among history buffs, '],' ']s' and fans of ].


===Active buildings=== ===Active buildings===
] inside an abandoned limestone quarry in ].]]
Another aspect of urban exploration is the practice of exploring active or ''in use'' buildings. This includes seeing secured or "member-only" areas, mechanical rooms, roofs, elevator rooms, abandoned floors and other normally unseen parts of such buildings. The term 'infiltration' is often associated with the exploration of active structures. People entering restricted areas may be committing ] and ] may result.
Another aspect of urban exploration is the practice of exploring active or ''in use'' buildings, which includes gaining access to secured or "member-only" areas, mechanical rooms, roofs, elevator rooms, abandoned floors, and other normally unseen parts of working buildings. The term "infiltration" is often associated with exploring active structures. People entering restricted areas may be committing trespass, and ] prosecution may result.


===Catacombs=== ===Catacombs===
]
] in ]]]
] such as those found in ], ] and ] have been investigated by urban explorers. The ], for instance, have been considered the "]" by some due to their extensive nature and history. Explorers of these are known as ]s or Splooshers. ] such as those found in ],<ref>{{cite map|url=https://www.pdf-maps.com/maps/105662/paris-underground-map/|title=Paris Underground Map|publisher=Michel-Eugène Lefébure de Fourcy|year=1841}}</ref> ], ], and ] have been investigated by urban explorers. Some consider the ], comprising many of the tunnels that are not open to public tours, including the catacombs, the "]" due to their extensive nature and history. Explorers of these spaces are known as ]s.


===Sewers and storm drains=== ===Sewers and storm drains===
]]]
Entry into ]s, or ''draining'', is another common form of UE. Groups devoted to the task have arisen, such as the ] in ]. Draining has a specialized set of guidelines, the foremost of which is "When it rains, no drains!"
Entry into ]s, or "draining", is another common form of urban exploration. Groups devoted to the task have arisen, such as the ] and Darkside in ]. Draining has a specialized set of guidelines, the foremost of which is "When it rains, no drains!", because the dangers of becoming entrapped, washed away, or killed increase dramatically during heavy rainfall.


A small subset of explorers enter sanitary sewers. Sometimes they are the only connection to caves or other subterranean feature. Sewers are among the most dangerous locations to explore owing to extremely high risks of poisoning by build up of toxic gases naturally found in all sewers (commonly ] and ]). There have been large numbers of fatalities from around the world through being overcome by toxic gases from sewers and the only safe way to enter a sewer is if the atmosphere has been tested by a working monitoring device and other confined space entry procedures followed. A small subset of explorers enter ]s. Sometimes they are the only connection to caves or other subterranean features. Sewers are among the most dangerous locations to explore owing to the risk of poisoning by buildups of toxic gas (commonly ], ], or ]). Sewers can contain viruses, ], ], and ]. Protective equipment is recommended for people who enter sewers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Water |first=Municipal Sewer and |date=2020-06-22 |title=How to Keep Sewer Workers Safe |url=https://www.mswmag.com/editorial/2020/07/how-to-keep-sewer-workers-safe |access-date=2022-12-09 |website=Municipal Sewer and Water |language=en}}</ref>


===Transit tunnels=== ===Transit tunnels===
] D6 line in ], Russia]]
This subset of urban exploration deals with exploring active and abandoned subway and underground railway tunnels and bores. Such activities are often considered trespassing, and can result in criminal prosecution. As a result, this type of exploration is rarely publicized. Although they exist worldwide, those who partake in this often reside near ], ], ], ] and ], along with many other major cities throughout the world.
Exploring active and abandoned subway and railway tunnels, bores, and ] is often considered trespassing and can result in civil prosecution due to security concerns. As a result, this type of exploration is rarely publicized. An exception to this is the abandoned ], the only American city with an abandoned subway system that was once operational. The ] is also abandoned but was never completed. ] has a number of stations on the ] network that have been closed over the years, with ] a popular location for explorers.

] under a university in ], ].]]


===Utility tunnels=== ===Utility tunnels===
{{main|Utility tunnel}}
] and other large institutions, such as hospitals, often distribute steam for heating buildings and ]s from a central heating plant. These high pressure steam pipes are generally run through utility tunnels, which are often accessible solely for the purposes of maintenance. Many of these steam tunnels, such as those on college campuses, often also have a tradition of exploration by students. This was once called ] at ], though students there now refer to it as ].
] in the center of ], Switzerland]]


Universities, and other large institutions, such as hospitals, often distribute hazardous ] for heating or cooling buildings from a ]. These pipes are generally run through utility tunnels, which are often intended to be accessible solely for the purposes of maintenance. Nevertheless, many of these steam tunnels, especially those on college campuses, have a tradition of exploration by students. This practice was once called "vadding" at the ], but students there now call it ].
Steam tunnels in general have been getting more secure in recent years, due to their use for carrying network backbones and perceived risk of their use in terrorist activities, safety and liability.

Some steam tunnels have dirt floors, no lighting and can have temperatures upwards of 115 degrees Fahrenheit (46°C). Others have concrete floors, bright light, and can even be quite nice and feature a cool temperature. Most steam tunnels have large intake fans to bring in fresh air, and push all of the hot air out the back.


Some steam tunnels have dirt floors, poor lighting and temperatures above {{convert|45|C|F}}. Others have concrete floors, bright light, and more moderate temperatures. Most steam tunnels have large intake fans to bring in the fresh air and push the hot air out the back, and these may start without warning. Most active steam tunnels do not contain airborne ], but proper breathing protection may be required for other respiratory hazards. Experienced explorers are very cautious inside active utility tunnels since pipes can spew boiling hot water or steam from leaky valves or pressure relief blow-offs. Often there are puddles of muddy water on the floor, making slips and falls a special concern near hot pipes.


Steam tunnels have generally been secured more heavily in recent years due to their frequent use for carrying communications network backbone cables, increased safety and liability concerns, and perceived risk of use in terrorist activities.


==Popularity== ==Popularity==
The rise in urban exploration's popularity can be attributed to increased media attention. Recent television shows such as ''Urban Explorers'' on the ], '']'', and the '']'' exploits of ] have packaged the hobby for a popular audience. The fictional film ''After...'' (2006), a hallucinatory thriller set in Moscow's underground subways, features urban explorers caught up in extreme situations. Talks and exhibits on urban exploration have appeared at the fifth and sixth ] Conference, complementing numerous newspaper articles and interviews.
] in ]. It offers tours to the public.]]
The rise in the popularity of urban exploration can be attributed to its increased media attention. Recent television shows, such as "Urban Explorers" on the ], ], and the ] exploits of ] have packaged the hobby for a popular audience. Talks and exhibits on urban exploration have appeared at the 5th and 6th ] Conference, complementing numerous newspaper articles and interviews. With the advent rise in the relative popularity of the hobby due to this increased focus, there has been increasing discussion on whether the extra attention has been beneficial to urban exploration as a whole.<ref>Last NINE. "Infiltration/UER in the news again." Online posting. 27 July 2006. Urban Exploration Resource. 31 July 2006 .</ref><ref>"Re: UE news story on Fox." Online posting. 17 Feb. 2006. Urban Exploration Resource. 31 July 2006 .</ref>


Another source of popular information is '']'', a documentary series that ran for three seasons on the ] starting in 2007. This series roamed around the world, showing little-known underground structures in remote locales and right under the feet of densely packed city-dwellers. Websites for professional and hobby explorers have been developed to share tips and locations.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Mele|first=Christopher|date=2020-07-27|title=Urban Explorers Give Modern Ruins a Second Life|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/27/us/abandoned-properties-to-explore.html|access-date=2020-08-16|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
The growing popularity of the activity has resulted not just in increased attention from explorers, but also from vandals and law enforcement. The illicit aspects of urban exploring, which may include trespassing and breaking and entering, have brought along with them critical articles in mainstream newspapers. In one recent article,<ref>Jacks, Jason. "Going in where others broke out." Times Community 26 July 2006. 31 July 2006 .</ref> web-postings and photographs from the web-site were cited as evidence that explorers were trespassing in a closed prison in ]. Users had posted specific details on entry points and how "easy" it was to gain entry to the disused facility.<ref>"Lorton Prison." Online posting. 8 Oct. 2005. Urban Exploration Resource. 31 July 2006 .</ref>


With the rise in the hobby's popularity, there has been increasing discussion of whether the extra attention has been beneficial.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-03-18 |title=Urban explorers risking lives and arrest for social media glory, say experts |url=http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/mar/18/urban-explorers-arrest-social-media-base-jumper-free-running-parkour |access-date=2022-12-09 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}</ref>
In that regard, some explorers have become wary of posting information and photographs on UE-related websites for fear of being prosecuted for trespassing. Recently there has been a conflict of interest between explorers about this issue. Additionally, arguments focus on whether online listings of explorable structures undermine the "underground" aspect of urban exploration.<ref>Greenburg, Andy. "Caught in their own web." DragonFire 26 July 2006. 31 July 2006 .</ref><ref>Cahal, Sherman. "Have we started pandering to the tourists?" Online posting. 11 May 2006. Abandoned. 31 July 2006 .</ref>


== Legality ==
Along with the rise in the popularity of urban exploring, numerous events have been hosted throughout the world. These organized meetings have included campouts, barbecues, day-long explorations, and tours of active and abandoned sites. While most of these are illegal in the sense that they involve trespassing or breaking and entering, a handful of meets, such as a recent event held at the ], involve tours or lock-ins. Others include UE-related gatherings, such as a meet held by an urban explorer who calls himself Shiroi in which stunts were performed in an abandoned structure.<ref>"Shiroi Meet Simplified." Online posting. 2 Aug. 2006. Urban Exploration Resource. 3 Aug. 2006 .</ref> This has received mixed criticism from the urban exploration community.<ref>"Shiroi Meet '07." Online posting. 21 June 2006. Urban Exploration Resource. 31 July. 2006 .</ref>
] fortress in ], Finland]]
]. On the right is a corridor leading to the bunker complex, and on the left is the "mushroom tunnel".]]
The activity's growing popularity has resulted in increased attention not just from explorers but also from vandals and law enforcement. The illicit aspects of urban exploring, which may include ] and ],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/tyne/content/articles/2008/08/19/urban_explorer_feature.shtml |title=Urban exploration - Richard Shepherd photographs derelict buildings in the North East and further afield. |publisher=BBC Tyne, Broadcasting Centre |date=20 August 2008 |access-date=23 April 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2020-04-17 |title=Urban exploration: the threat to business |url=https://citysecuritymagazine.com/risk-management/urban-exploration-the-threat-to-business/ |access-date=2022-12-09 |website=City Security Magazine |language=en-GB}}</ref> have had critical attention in mainstream newspapers.<ref name="PPG_062008">{{cite news|title=Urban explorers dare to investigate seldom-seen Pittsburgh sites|date=7 September 2003|last=Batz|first=Bob Jr.|work=]|access-date=20 June 2008|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/lifestyle/20030907explore0907fnp1.asp}}</ref>


In ], lawyers for the Roads and Traffic Authority of ] shut down the Sydney ]'s website after they raised concerns that the portal could "risk human safety and threaten the security of its infrastructure".<ref name="PPG_062008"/> Another website belonging to the Bangor Explorers Guild was criticized by the ] for encouraging behavior that "could get someone hurt or killed".<ref name="PPG_062008"/> ], called for an "end" to rooftop photography in 2016, citing similar concerns about the possibility of death or injury.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Edge walkers: police call for end to 'rooftopping' before it's too late {{!}} Globalnews.ca |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/2489263/edge-walkers-police-call-for-end-to-rooftopping-before-its-too-late/ |access-date=2022-12-10 |website=Global News |date=7 November 2015 |language=en-US}}</ref> The ] has used the Internet to crimp subway tunnel explorations, going as far as to send investigators to various explorers' homes.<ref name="PPG_062008"/>
== Safety ==
Urban Exploration is a hobby that comes with a number of inherent dangers. Storm water drains are not designed with human access as their primary use. They can be subject to flash flooding and bad air. There have been a number of deaths in storm water drains, but these are usually during floods, and are normally not Urban Explorers. <ref> Teenager Dies in flood http://www.myjoyonline.com/archives/news/200706/5334.asp</ref>
]s rules may need to be used in drains and some confined spaces that urban explorers travel into.


], who authored ''Infiltration'', writes that genuine urban explorers "never vandalize, steal or damage anything". The thrill comes from "discovery and a few nice pictures".<ref name="PPG_062008"/> Some explorers also request permission for entry in advance.<ref name="legal">{{cite news |last=Ebaster |first=Al |date=19 September 2007 |title=Legal Urban Exploration: 7 Tips for Visiting Historical Abandonments |publisher=Web Urbanist |url=http://weburbanist.com/2007/09/19/legal-urban-exploration-7-tips-for-visiting-historical-abandonments/}}</ref>
Many old abandoned structures feature hazards such as unstable structures, unsafe floors, asbestos, carbon monoxide, exposed electrical wires and entrapment hazards.


== Hazards ==
] is a long term health risk for urban explorers, along with breathing in contaminants from ] faeces. Urban explorers use dust masks and ]s to alleviate this danger.
] are not designed with human access as their primary use and can be subject to ]ing and bad air.


Many abandoned structures have hazards such as unstable structures, unsafe floors, broken glass, ], entrapment hazards, or unknown chemicals and other harmful substances (most notably ]). Other risks include freely roaming ]s and hostile ]s. Some abandoned locations may be heavily guarded by ]s and active security patrols, while others are more easily accessible and carry less risk of discovery.<ref>{{cite news |title=Abandoned beauties: Urban explorers find adventure in ruins of old buildings |date=5 December 2004 |last=Owen |first=Mary |work=] |access-date=27 July 2009 |url=http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20041205/news_mz1h5abandon.html}}</ref>
== Controversies ==
In 2002, 25-year-old Joseph Konopka, better known by his self-given nickname "Dr. Chaos", was arrested by ] after he was caught hoarding ] and ] in an unused ] storeroom in the ] Blue Line subway. Konopka had picked the original locks on several doors in the tunnels, then changed the locks so that he could access the unused rooms freely. Konopka had briefly associated with a Chicago-area Urban Exploration group in order to obtain information on how to access the large network of unused tunnels and abandoned rooms on Chicago's transit system as well as to lure juveniles to help him.<ref>Held, Tom. "Judge calls 'Dr. Chaos' a true danger: Cyanide suspect waives hearing, stays in custody." ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'' March 14, 2002 </ref>


=== Deaths from urban exploration ===
==In the media==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
].]]
! scope="col" |Date
===Books===
!Location
Many urban exploration books are available, including:
! scope="col" class="unsortable" |Description
|-
|{{dts|June 2008}}
|{{flagicon|Canada}} ]
|A 26-year-old man died in hospital two days after falling off a catwalk at the abandoned Richard L. Hearn Thermal Generating Station in Toronto. The man entered the building with a friend intending to take "artistic photographs" of the building.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Reinhart |first1=Anthony |title=Urban explorer pays for his hobby with his life |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/urban-explorer-pays-for-his-hobby-with-his-life/article17988047/ |access-date=1 December 2022}}</ref>


|-
* ] (2005). ''Access All Areas: A user's guide to the art of urban exploration.'' PO Box 13, Station E, Toronto, ON M6H 4E1 Canada: Infilpress. ISBN 0-9737787-0-9
|{{dts|26 April 2009}}
* Wand, Eku and Arnold, Dietmar (2001). CD-ROM: ''Berlin im Untergrund - Eine interaktive Zeitreise unter den Potsdamer Platz.'' eku interactive e.K., Berlin/Bad Homburg, Germany. ISBN 3-935709-02-1
|{{flagicon|USA}} ]
* Deyo, L.B. and Leibowitz, David "Lefty". ''Invisible Frontier: Exploring the tunnels, ruins & rooftops of hidden New York.'' Three Rivers Press. ISBN 0-609-80931-8
|A man was inside a tunnel along the Mississippi river when it began to rain heavily, and the rain swept him down the tunnel to the river. The man was found in the river and later died in hospital, having drowned.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.rivertowns.net/news/938252-woodbury-man-dies-after-being-swept-river-while-exploring|title=Woodbury man dies after being swept into river while exploring|date=26 April 2009|work=RiverTown News|access-date=27 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210708015306/https://www.republicaneagle.com/news/woodbury-man-dies-after-being-swept-into-river-while-exploring/article_cffce747-6b35-5236-8a4d-c2c976226c8f.html|archive-date=8 July 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.startribune.com/man-dies-another-rescued-in-drama-along-mississippi-river/43744557/?refresh=true|title=Man dies, another rescued in drama along Mississippi River|author=Heron Marquez Estrada|date=26 April 2009|work=Star Tribune|access-date=27 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210708015342/https://www.startribune.com/man-dies-another-rescued-in-drama-along-mississippi-river/43744557/?refresh=true|archive-date=8 July 2021|url-status=live}}</ref>
* ]. ''New York Underground: The Anatomy of a City.'' Routledge. ISBN 0-415-95013-9
* The Urban Adventure Handbook. Ten Speed Press.
* O'Brien, Matthew (Author) and Mollohan, Danny (Photographer) (2007). ''Beneath the Neon: Life and Death in the Tunnels of Las Vegas.'' Huntington Press. ISBN 0-929-71239-0


|-
The following two photography books by Chilean-born, New York–based photographer and documenter ] are not explicitly about urban exploration, but Mr. Vergara uses many of the same techniques as urban explorers to gain access to the abandoned buildings which he photographs to document their decay.
|{{dts|June 2013}}
|{{flagicon|Russia}} ]
|It is thought that a 9-year-old boy fell {{convert|6|m}} from a spiral staircase to the ground inside the ruins of ] and died from his injuries.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://klops.ru/news/Proisshestvija/72814/V-Nemane-9letnij-maljcik-upal-s-lestnicy-razrusennoj-kreposti-i-pogib.html|title=In Neman, a 9-year-old boy fell from the stairs of a destroyed fortress and died|date=17 June 2013|work=klops|access-date=25 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201125043205/https://klops.ru/news/Proisshestvija/72814/V-Nemane-9letnij-maljcik-upal-s-lestnicy-razrusennoj-kreposti-i-pogib.html|archive-date=25 November 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newkaliningrad.ru/news/incidents/2078249-v-nemane-politsiya-obnaruzhila-trup-9letnego-malchika.html|title=In Neman, the police found the corpse of a 9-year-old boy|date=17 June 2020|work=new Kaliningrad|access-date=12 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130730160412/http://www.newkaliningrad.ru/news/incidents/2078249-v-nemane-politsiya-obnaruzhila-trup-9letnego-malchika.html|archive-date=30 July 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>


|-
* ]. "American Ruins". Monacelli. ISBN 1-58093-056-5
|{{dts|21 March 2015}}
* ]. "The New American Ghetto". Rutgers University Press. ISBN 0-8135-2331-1
|{{flagicon|Australia}} ]
|A man was kayaking through a storm water drain when he became trapped by rising water from heavy rain and drowned.<ref>{{Cite news
|url=https://www.byronnews.com.au/news/man-exploring-brisbane-city-tunnels-dies-heavy-sto/2582781/|title=Man exploring Brisbane city tunnels dies in heavy storm|date=23 March 2015|work=Byron Shire News|access-date=27 September 2020|archive-date=24 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124183003/https://www.byronnews.com.au/news/man-exploring-brisbane-city-tunnels-dies-heavy-sto/2582781/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/sunshine-coast/man-exploring-brisbane-city-tunnels-dies-in-heavy-storm/news-story/8895be7155e45d1b7bf65beb5a6e64d3|title=Man exploring Brisbane city tunnels dies in heavy storm|date=23 March 2015|work=The Courier Mail|access-date=7 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210707074711/https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/sunshine-coast/man-exploring-brisbane-city-tunnels-dies-in-heavy-storm/news-story/8895be7155e45d1b7bf65beb5a6e64d3|archive-date=7 July 2021}}</ref>


|-
Fiction:
|{{dts|12 January 2017}}
* Urban explorers (termed "creepers") and their culture are at the core of the thriller ] by author ].
|{{flagicon|France}} ]
* ]. "The Raw Shark Texts". Canongate. ISBN 978-1841959115: here the author writes widely about an exploration of ]: a name used in the book to refer to all of the hidden places in cities usually explored by the ].
|An 18-year-old boy was on Mulatière railway bridge taking photos, when he fell from the bridge and died.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.20minutes.fr/lyon/1996007-20170115-lyon-depuis-disparition-maxime-hommages-multiplient-reseaux|title=Lyon: Since the disappearance of Maxime, tributes have multiplied on the networks|last=Noble-Werner|first=Baptiste|date=15 January 2017|work=20minutes|access-date=27 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112022609/https://www.20minutes.fr/lyon/1996007-20170115-lyon-depuis-disparition-maxime-hommages-multiplient-reseaux|archive-date=12 November 2020|url-status=live}}</ref>


|-
===Magazines===
|{{dts|October 2017}}
<!-- (seicer 05.28.06) Please do not add magazines that are not published regularly or on a basis that can not be considered consistent (e.g. 'once in a while as I see fit' is not a valid excuse). Magazines can be either online or off-line but must fall under the definition of a magazine and must be wide enough to cater to a large audience. This is to be as specific as possible and not include every web-site that may publish a UE related article and consider itself to be a blog or a zine.
|{{flagicon|USA}} ]
|A Memphis photographer and urban explorer died after a 14-story fall off a hotel in ] while trespassing.<ref>{{cite news |title=Man taking photos falls 14 stories to his death at Chicago hotel |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/man-falls-to-his-death-londonhouse-chicago-hotel/ |access-date=1 December 2022}}</ref>


|-
NOTES:
|{{dts|June 2018}}
Alphabetize the links.
|{{flagicon|USA}} ]
-->
|A 30-year-old photographer and urban explorer died in ] after being swept away in a flash flood while exploring a storm drain.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Scotti |first1=Ariel |title=Urban explorer who died while photographing Philadelphia storm drain remembered as 'bando queen' |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/ny-fea-urban-explorer-dead-20180607-story.html |access-date=1 December 2022}}</ref>
* : A Canadian Urban Exploration magazine focusing mainly on Western Canada.
* : Australian draining magazine.
* : United States urban exploration magazine.
* : The UKs First and Only Urban Exploration magazine.


|-
===Film===
|{{dts|August 2019}}
<!-- Let's keep short films and documentaries out of this section. Major film releases go here. -->
|{{flagicon|Russia}} ]
* ] - A demented coroner inhabits an abandoned lunatic asylum. When several teenagers trespass on his property, he proceeds to kill them off one by one. Filmed on location at the since-demolished in ].
|A 16-year-old boy was walking on the roof of a one-story abandoned building and was killed when the edge of the building collapsed.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.e1.ru/news/spool/news_id-66185446.html|title="One brick collapsed": details of the death of a teenager who crashed at Moscow|last=Zabailovich|first=Julia|date=5 August 2019|work=e1.ru|access-date=9 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210307231116/https://www.e1.ru/news/spool/news_id-66185446.html|archive-date=7 March 2021|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.e1.ru/news/spool/news_id-66184729.html|title=In Yekaterinburg, a teenager crashed to death by falling from the roof of a one-story building|date=3 August 2019|work=e1.ru|access-date=9 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210708080314/https://www.e1.ru/text/incidents/2019/08/03/66184729/|archive-date=8 July 2021|url-status=live}}</ref>
* Pray for Rain's '']'', (2006) a supernatural thriller about three urban explorers who get more than they bargain for when they set out to explore the secret world beneath ]. It was released in October 2007 by First Look Studios.


|-
* Red Scream Films' , (2006) the world's first exploitation style UE film.
|{{dts|July 2020}}
|{{flagicon|United Kingdom}} ]
|A 22-year-old man died after falling from the roof of an abandoned factory.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/uk-news/i-cannot-him-die-vain-18703846|title='I cannot let him die in vain' Mum pays tribute to 'urban explorer' son who died after falling from roof|date=2020-08-02|access-date=2020-09-13|last=Smith|first=Daniel|website=]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807104653/https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/uk-news/i-cannot-him-die-vain-18703846|archive-date=7 August 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref>


|-
* Christopher Smith's '']'' (2004).
|{{dts|September 2021}}
|{{flagicon|Russia}} ]
|A 34-year-old YouTuber suffered a fatal fall while filming a YouTube video in an abandoned building in ].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ningthoujam |first1=Natalia |title=34-Year-Old Russian YouTuber Falls To Death From Fire Escape While Shooting Video |url=https://www.latintimes.com/34-year-old-russian-youtuber-falls-death-fire-escape-while-shooting-video-486273 |access-date=1 December 2022}}</ref>
|}


==Rooftopping==
* The horror film ] features the heroine exploring tunnels that connect various rooms in some of Chicago's abandoned ] tenements.
{{main|Rooftopping}}
]]]
Rooftopping and skywalking are the ascents of rooftops, cranes, antennas, smokestacks, etc., usually illegally, to get an ] rush and take ]. Rooftopping differs from skywalking as the latter is mostly about taking panoramic photographs of the scene below, and safety is more important than the thrill.<ref>{{Cite web | title=Meet the rooftoppers: the urban outlaws who risk everything to summit our cities | url=https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/feb/17/rooftoppers-urban-explorers-risk-photographs-skyscrapers-bradley-garrett | work=]| date=17 February 2015 }}</ref> Rooftopping has been especially popular in ].<ref>Lucy Ash, </ref> ] has a similar goal as rooftopping and skywalking (to reach the roof), but involves climbing the building from the outside rather than infiltrating from the inside.


===Short films and documentaries=== == Methods and technology ==
* Some urban explorers use ] such as ] or other ]s for videos.<ref>{{cite web|title=Afraid of heights? You'll still want to watch this|url=http://www.redbull.com/en/adventure/stories/1331811152379/see-insane-gopro-shots-from-red-bull-tv-s-urbex|publisher=Red Bull|access-date=11 February 2017}}</ref><ref name=scmp1>{{cite web|title=The Hong Kong urban adventurers for whom nothing is too tall, or deep, or spooky|url=http://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/1935696/hong-kong-urban-adventurers-whom-nothing-too-tall-or-deep|work=South China Morning Post|date=14 April 2016|access-date=11 February 2017|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|title=Meet the Place Hackers|url=https://time.com/4281028/meet-the-place-hackers/|magazine=Time (magazine)|access-date=11 February 2017}}</ref>
* David L. Cunningham's documentary short, which documents a research trip he and screenwriter Kevin Miller made in preparation for writing , a supernatural UE thriller about three urban explorers who get more than what they bargain for when they set out to explore the vast secret world under Moscow.
* Melody Gilbert's (2007), a documentary about some of the world's urban explorers.
* Robert Fantinatto's (2005), a visual essay on the allure of abandoned buildings and industrial relics.


* Some also use ] ] for exploration and recording.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Ives|first1=Mike|title=Using Stealth, and Drones, to Document a Fading Hong Kong|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/07/world/asia/hong-kong-historical-preservation.html|work=The New York Times|access-date=11 February 2017|date=7 February 2017}}</ref><ref name=scmp1/>
===Television===
*A 2004 episode of ] (]) involved a person supposedly killed while ].
*A 2005 episode of ], ], was filmed in an abandoned sanitarium and features two thrill seeking urban explorers.
*The ] filmed and aired a five episode series with the title ''Urban Explorers''.<ref>{{cite web|title=undercity.org|author=Steve Duncan|accessdate=2007-1-10|url=http://www.undercity.org/about.htm}}</ref> The 5 episodes are ], ], ], ], and ].
*A 2006 episode of ] (]) involved two urban explorers taking artifacts from an abandoned hotel.
*There is a series on ], titled ], where the host explores various tunnels and crypts.


* The ]s '']''<ref>{{cite book|last1=Harris|first1=Jesse|title=The Practical Guide to Ingress: What you really need to know without the extraneous junk|date=30 January 2015|publisher=Jesse Harris|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tx9zBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA20|access-date=11 February 2017|language=en}}</ref> and the following '']''<ref>{{cite web|title=Why Pokémon Go will surprise you in your own city|url=http://europe.newsweek.com/pokemon-go-unexpected-discovery-cities-pokestops-481750|work=Newsweek|date=19 July 2016|access-date=11 February 2017|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Pokémon Go - A New Avenue for Urban Exploration » CSBE|url=http://www.csbe.org/publications-and-resources/articles-and-lectures-on-urbanism/pokemon-go-a-new-avenue-for-urban-exploration/|publisher=Center for the Study of the Built Environment|access-date=11 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170212091408/http://www.csbe.org/publications-and-resources/articles-and-lectures-on-urbanism/pokemon-go-a-new-avenue-for-urban-exploration/|archive-date=12 February 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> based on the former have urban exploration elements. While some are concerned with keeping certain sites secret from the public at large, mainly to prevent vandalism, several apps dedicated to urban exploration exist.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Walker|first1=Alissa|title=5 Apps That Help You Find Your City's Hidden Gems|url=https://gizmodo.com/5-apps-that-help-you-find-your-citys-hidden-gems-1657009307|website=Gizmodo|date=13 November 2014 |access-date=12 February 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Abandoned App Leads You to Local Urban Exploration Sites|url=http://weburbanist.com/2013/02/25/abandoned-app-leads-you-to-local-urban-exploration-sites/|website=WebUrbanist|access-date=12 February 2017|date=26 February 2013}}</ref>
==See also==
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==References== == See also ==
===General===
<div class="references-small">
*]
<references />
*]
</div>
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
===Organizations===
*], Australian urbex group
* Action Squad, American urbex group


== References ==
]
{{reflist}}
]

]
== Further reading ==
*{{cite book|first=Bradley L. |last=Garrett |author-link=Bradley Garrett |url=http://www.versobooks.com/books/1473-explore-everything |title=Explore Everything: Place-Hacking the City |publisher=Verso Books, Brooklyn, London and Paris |isbn=9781781681299 |date=October 2013 |access-date=23 April 2014}}
* Gates, Moses (2012). ''Hidden Cities: Travels to the Secret Corners of the World's Great Metropolises; A Memoir of Urban Exploration'' Tarcher, New York. {{ISBN|978-1585429349}}
* {{Cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/2013/09/14/222525583/new-york-underground-exploring-city-caves-and-catacombs |title=New York Underground: Exploring City Caves and Catacombs |first=Jacki |last=Lyden |work=] |date=14 September 2013 |publisher=]}}
* Margaine, Sylvain (2009) (Hardcover), {{ISBN|2-915807-82-5}}
* ] (2005). ''Access All Areas: A user's guide to the art of urban exploration.'' PO Box 13, Station E, Toronto, ON M6H 4E1 Canada: Infilpress. {{ISBN|0-9737787-0-9}}
* Paiva, Troy (2008) ''Night Vision: The Art of Urban Exploration'' Chronicle Books {{ISBN|0-8118-6338-7}}
* ]'s '']'' (2007), a documentary about some of the world's urban explorers.
* Timothy Hannem, ''Urbex : 50 lieux secrets et abandonnés en France'', Arthaud, {{ISBN|978-2081356078}}

==External links==
*{{Commons category-inline|Urban exploration}}
*{{Wikivoyage-inline|Urbex|Urban exploration}}
{{Adventure travel|state=collapsed}}

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Latest revision as of 09:59, 13 December 2024

Exploration of usually hidden or abandoned buildings and structures "Urban explorer" and "urban explorers" redirect here. For other uses, see Urban explorer (disambiguation). "Urbex" redirects here. For the documentary series, see URBEX – Enter At Your Own Risk.
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Abandoned Salbert fortifications

Urban exploration (often shortened as UE, urbex, and sometimes known as roof and tunnel hacking) is the exploration of manmade structures, usually abandoned ruins or hidden components of the manmade environment. Photography and historical interest/documentation are heavily featured in the hobby, sometimes involving trespassing onto private property. Urban exploration is also called draining (a specific form of urban exploration where storm drains or sewers are explored), urban spelunking, urban rock climbing, urban caving, building hacking, or mousing.

The activity presents various risks, including physical danger, the possibility of arrest and punishment if done illegally and/or without permission, and the risk of encountering squatters. Some activities associated with urban exploration may violate local or regional laws, certain broadly interpreted anti-terrorism laws, or can be considered trespassing or invasion of privacy. Encountering squatters, who are unauthorized occupants in abandoned or unmonitored properties, can lead to unpredictable and potentially dangerous situations.

Exploration sites

Urban explorers at the entrance of a technical gallery under construction in Paris, France

Abandonments

Ventures into abandoned structures are perhaps the most common example of urban exploration. Many sites are entered first by locals and may have graffiti or other kinds of vandalism, while others are better preserved. Although targets of exploration vary from one country to another, high-profile abandonments include amusement parks, grain elevators, factories, power plants, missile silos, fallout shelters, hospitals, asylums, prisons, schools, outmoded and abandoned skyscrapers, poor houses, and sanatoriums.

In Japan, abandoned infrastructure is known as haikyo (廃墟) (literally "ruins"), and the term is synonymous with the practice of urban exploration. Haikyo are particularly common in Japan because of its rapid industrialization (e.g., Hashima Island), damage during World War II, the 1980s real estate bubble, and the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.

Željava underground military airport

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, a large underground facility abandoned since 1992 is Željava Air Base, situated under the Gola Plješevica mountain, near the city of Bihać. It was the largest underground airport and military air base in the SFR Yugoslavia, and one of the largest in Europe. The complex contains tunnels in total length of 3.5 km (2.2 mi), and other large facilities. Nowadays, it is popular for urban exploration, although it is risky due to the possibility of anti-personnel landmines being located in unexplored areas, remnants from 1990s Bosnian War.

Many explorers find the decay of uninhabited space profoundly beautiful, and some are also proficient freelance photographers who document what they see, such as those who document the infrastructure of the former USSR.

Abandoned sites are also popular among historians, preservationists, architects, archaeologists, industrial archaeologists, and ghost hunters.

Active buildings

Light painting inside an abandoned limestone quarry in France.

Another aspect of urban exploration is the practice of exploring active or in use buildings, which includes gaining access to secured or "member-only" areas, mechanical rooms, roofs, elevator rooms, abandoned floors, and other normally unseen parts of working buildings. The term "infiltration" is often associated with exploring active structures. People entering restricted areas may be committing trespass, and civil prosecution may result.

Catacombs

Catacombs (France)

Catacombs such as those found in Paris, Rome, Odessa, and Naples have been investigated by urban explorers. Some consider the Mines of Paris, comprising many of the tunnels that are not open to public tours, including the catacombs, the "Holy Grail" due to their extensive nature and history. Explorers of these spaces are known as cataphiles.

Sewers and storm drains

Storm drain outfall in Saint Paul, Minnesota

Entry into storm drains, or "draining", is another common form of urban exploration. Groups devoted to the task have arisen, such as the Cave Clan and Darkside in Australia. Draining has a specialized set of guidelines, the foremost of which is "When it rains, no drains!", because the dangers of becoming entrapped, washed away, or killed increase dramatically during heavy rainfall.

A small subset of explorers enter sanitary sewers. Sometimes they are the only connection to caves or other subterranean features. Sewers are among the most dangerous locations to explore owing to the risk of poisoning by buildups of toxic gas (commonly methane, hydrogen sulfide, or carbon dioxide). Sewers can contain viruses, bacteria, protozoa, and parasitic worms. Protective equipment is recommended for people who enter sewers.

Transit tunnels

Diesel trains in a tunnel of Metro-2 D6 line in Moscow, Russia

Exploring active and abandoned subway and railway tunnels, bores, and stations is often considered trespassing and can result in civil prosecution due to security concerns. As a result, this type of exploration is rarely publicized. An exception to this is the abandoned subway of Rochester, New York, the only American city with an abandoned subway system that was once operational. The Cincinnati subway is also abandoned but was never completed. London has a number of stations on the London Underground network that have been closed over the years, with Aldwych tube station a popular location for explorers.

Utility tunnels

Main article: Utility tunnel
Utility tunnel in the center of Zürich, Switzerland

Universities, and other large institutions, such as hospitals, often distribute hazardous superheated steam for heating or cooling buildings from a central heating plant. These pipes are generally run through utility tunnels, which are often intended to be accessible solely for the purposes of maintenance. Nevertheless, many of these steam tunnels, especially those on college campuses, have a tradition of exploration by students. This practice was once called "vadding" at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, but students there now call it roof and tunnel hacking.

Some steam tunnels have dirt floors, poor lighting and temperatures above 45 °C (113 °F). Others have concrete floors, bright light, and more moderate temperatures. Most steam tunnels have large intake fans to bring in the fresh air and push the hot air out the back, and these may start without warning. Most active steam tunnels do not contain airborne asbestos, but proper breathing protection may be required for other respiratory hazards. Experienced explorers are very cautious inside active utility tunnels since pipes can spew boiling hot water or steam from leaky valves or pressure relief blow-offs. Often there are puddles of muddy water on the floor, making slips and falls a special concern near hot pipes.

Steam tunnels have generally been secured more heavily in recent years due to their frequent use for carrying communications network backbone cables, increased safety and liability concerns, and perceived risk of use in terrorist activities.

Popularity

The rise in urban exploration's popularity can be attributed to increased media attention. Recent television shows such as Urban Explorers on the Discovery Channel, MTV's Fear, and the Ghost Hunting exploits of The Atlantic Paranormal Society have packaged the hobby for a popular audience. The fictional film After... (2006), a hallucinatory thriller set in Moscow's underground subways, features urban explorers caught up in extreme situations. Talks and exhibits on urban exploration have appeared at the fifth and sixth Hackers on Planet Earth Conference, complementing numerous newspaper articles and interviews.

Another source of popular information is Cities of the Underworld, a documentary series that ran for three seasons on the History Channel starting in 2007. This series roamed around the world, showing little-known underground structures in remote locales and right under the feet of densely packed city-dwellers. Websites for professional and hobby explorers have been developed to share tips and locations.

With the rise in the hobby's popularity, there has been increasing discussion of whether the extra attention has been beneficial.

Legality

A partially collapsed tunnel in the Kyminlinna fortress in Kotka, Finland
Hill 60 bunker. On the right is a corridor leading to the bunker complex, and on the left is the "mushroom tunnel".

The activity's growing popularity has resulted in increased attention not just from explorers but also from vandals and law enforcement. The illicit aspects of urban exploring, which may include trespassing and breaking and entering, have had critical attention in mainstream newspapers.

In Australia, lawyers for the Roads and Traffic Authority of New South Wales shut down the Sydney Cave Clan's website after they raised concerns that the portal could "risk human safety and threaten the security of its infrastructure". Another website belonging to the Bangor Explorers Guild was criticized by the Maine State Police for encouraging behavior that "could get someone hurt or killed". Toronto Police, called for an "end" to rooftop photography in 2016, citing similar concerns about the possibility of death or injury. The Toronto Transit Commission has used the Internet to crimp subway tunnel explorations, going as far as to send investigators to various explorers' homes.

Jeff Chapman, who authored Infiltration, writes that genuine urban explorers "never vandalize, steal or damage anything". The thrill comes from "discovery and a few nice pictures". Some explorers also request permission for entry in advance.

Hazards

Storm drains are not designed with human access as their primary use and can be subject to flash flooding and bad air.

Many abandoned structures have hazards such as unstable structures, unsafe floors, broken glass, stray voltage, entrapment hazards, or unknown chemicals and other harmful substances (most notably asbestos). Other risks include freely roaming guard dogs and hostile squatters. Some abandoned locations may be heavily guarded by motion detectors and active security patrols, while others are more easily accessible and carry less risk of discovery.

Deaths from urban exploration

Date Location Description
June 2008 Canada Toronto, Canada A 26-year-old man died in hospital two days after falling off a catwalk at the abandoned Richard L. Hearn Thermal Generating Station in Toronto. The man entered the building with a friend intending to take "artistic photographs" of the building.
26 April 2009 United States Saint Paul, United States A man was inside a tunnel along the Mississippi river when it began to rain heavily, and the rain swept him down the tunnel to the river. The man was found in the river and later died in hospital, having drowned.
June 2013 Russia Neman, Russia It is thought that a 9-year-old boy fell 6 metres (20 ft) from a spiral staircase to the ground inside the ruins of Ragnit Castle and died from his injuries.
21 March 2015 Australia Brisbane, Australia A man was kayaking through a storm water drain when he became trapped by rising water from heavy rain and drowned.
12 January 2017 France La Mulatière, France An 18-year-old boy was on Mulatière railway bridge taking photos, when he fell from the bridge and died.
October 2017 United States Chicago, United States A Memphis photographer and urban explorer died after a 14-story fall off a hotel in Chicago while trespassing.
June 2018 United States Philadelphia, United States A 30-year-old photographer and urban explorer died in Philadelphia after being swept away in a flash flood while exploring a storm drain.
August 2019 Russia Moscow, Russia A 16-year-old boy was walking on the roof of a one-story abandoned building and was killed when the edge of the building collapsed.
July 2020 United Kingdom Totnes, United Kingdom A 22-year-old man died after falling from the roof of an abandoned factory.
September 2021 Russia Moscow, Russia A 34-year-old YouTuber suffered a fatal fall while filming a YouTube video in an abandoned building in Moscow.

Rooftopping

Main article: Rooftopping
Rooftopping in Hong Kong

Rooftopping and skywalking are the ascents of rooftops, cranes, antennas, smokestacks, etc., usually illegally, to get an adrenaline rush and take selfie photos or videos. Rooftopping differs from skywalking as the latter is mostly about taking panoramic photographs of the scene below, and safety is more important than the thrill. Rooftopping has been especially popular in Russia. Buildering has a similar goal as rooftopping and skywalking (to reach the roof), but involves climbing the building from the outside rather than infiltrating from the inside.

Methods and technology

  • The location-based games Ingress and the following Pokémon Go based on the former have urban exploration elements. While some are concerned with keeping certain sites secret from the public at large, mainly to prevent vandalism, several apps dedicated to urban exploration exist.

See also

General

Organizations

  • Cave Clan, Australian urbex group
  • Action Squad, American urbex group

References

  1. Ninjalicious (2005). Access All Areas: A User's Guide to the Art of Urban Exploration. Infilpress. p. 223. ISBN 9780973778700. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  2. Nestor, James (19 August 2007). "The Art of Urban Exploration". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 20 June 2008.
  3. Stevenson, Seth (15 October 2000). "Forgive us our tresspasses". The Independent. London. p. 105. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
  4. Lyons, Sheridan (6 July 1981). "Storm drains vital for a rainy day, but at times they're overwhelmed". The Baltimore Sun. p. 32. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  5. Scott, Michael (1 March 1993). "Hacking the Material World". Wired. Vol. 1, no. 3. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  6. Lipin, David (January 1997). "Circling the Drain". Los Angeles. Vol. 42, no. 1. p. 18. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  7. Gakuran, Michael (23 March 2010). "The Hazards of Haikyo and Urban Exploration". Retrieved 21 June 2011.
  8. "Haikyo: Abandoned Treasure". Weekender. May 2010. Retrieved 18 November 2010.
  9. "Zeljava Airbase". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  10. "Underground Aircraft Dispersal Bihac Airfield, Yugoslavia 44-50N 015-47E" (PDF). National Photographic Interpretation Center. 17 June 1968. Retrieved 28 July 2022 – via nsarchive2.gwu.edu.
  11. "Zeljava-jna_jedinice". Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  12. Shevchenko, Vitaly (11 February 2014). "The urban explorers of the ex-USSR". BBC. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
  13. Paris Underground Map (Map). Michel-Eugène Lefébure de Fourcy. 1841.
  14. Water, Municipal Sewer and (22 June 2020). "How to Keep Sewer Workers Safe". Municipal Sewer and Water. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  15. Mele, Christopher (27 July 2020). "Urban Explorers Give Modern Ruins a Second Life". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  16. "Urban explorers risking lives and arrest for social media glory, say experts". the Guardian. 18 March 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  17. "Urban exploration - Richard Shepherd photographs derelict buildings in the North East and further afield". BBC Tyne, Broadcasting Centre. 20 August 2008. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
  18. "Urban exploration: the threat to business". City Security Magazine. 17 April 2020. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  19. ^ Batz, Bob Jr. (7 September 2003). "Urban explorers dare to investigate seldom-seen Pittsburgh sites". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 20 June 2008.
  20. "Edge walkers: police call for end to 'rooftopping' before it's too late | Globalnews.ca". Global News. 7 November 2015. Retrieved 10 December 2022.
  21. Ebaster, Al (19 September 2007). "Legal Urban Exploration: 7 Tips for Visiting Historical Abandonments". Web Urbanist.
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Further reading

External links

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