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{{Short description|Exploration of usually hidden or abandoned buildings and structures}} | |||
'''Urban exploration''', or ''UE'', is the examination of the unseen or off-limits parts of human civilization. | |||
{{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}} | |||
}} | |||
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2018}} | |||
]]] | |||
'''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. | |||
==Targets Of Exploration== | |||
==Exploration sites== | |||
UE can further be separated into subcategories. Urban explorers do any or all of these things, but often specialize on one or two. | |||
] | |||
===Abandonments=== | ===Abandonments=== | ||
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> | |||
Ventures into abandoned structures are perhaps the most common example of UE. Abandoned sites are generally entered first by locals, and often sport large amounts of ] and other vandalism. Explorers often focus on the natural decay, as nature grows trees on the roof and weeds in the carpet, and unnatural decay of the structure as scrappers, looters, squatters, and vandals demolish the building from the inside out. | |||
] | |||
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> | |||
Common abandoned structures to explore: | |||
*Manufacturing facilities | |||
*Brickworks | |||
*Grain elevators | |||
*Houses | |||
*Missile silos | |||
*Abandoned tunnels such as mines, headraces, tailraces, and rail tunnels | |||
*Hospitals, asylums, and sanatoriums | |||
Abandoned sites are also popular among ], ], ], ], ], and ]. | |||
=== Tunnels === | |||
===Active buildings=== | |||
Active ]s include steam, power, telephone, water, and other utility tunnels; ] and other transit tunnels; and storm or sanitary ]s. | |||
] inside an abandoned limestone quarry in ].]] | |||
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=== | ||
] | |||
] and other large institutions often distribute steam for heating buildings from a central heating plant. These steam lines are generally run through tunnels, which are often human-passable for maintenance purposes. Universities that have steam tunnels often also have a tradition of steam tunnel exploration by students. This was once called ] at ], though students there now refer to it as ]. | |||
] 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=== | |||
Steam tunnels in general have been getting more secure in recent years, due to their use for carrying network backbones and terrorist fears. | |||
]]] | |||
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 ]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> | |||
====Sewers==== | |||
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." | |||
===Transit tunnels=== | |||
A small subset of explorers enter sanitary sewers. Sometimes they are the only connection to caves or other subterranean features. Sewers are the most dangerous locations to explore, and those who explore them are on the fringe of a group that's already on the fringe. | |||
] D6 line in ], Russia]] | |||
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. | |||
=== |
===Utility tunnels=== | ||
{{main|Utility tunnel}} | |||
The penalties for getting caught in subway tunnels are some of the strictest in the hobby. As a result, subway exploration is the least publicised type of exploration. ] probably has the largest number of subway explorers. | |||
] 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 ]. | |||
=== Active Buildings === | |||
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. | |||
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, and other normally unseen parts of such buildings. | |||
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. | |||
== Ethics == | |||
==Popularity== | |||
In many places, UE is a crime. Explorers generally justify their crimes as ], because they enjoy the location without causing harm or depriving the owner of their property. The common but not entirely accurate catchphrase for this ethical standpoint is the Sierra Club's motto: "take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints." The common code of ethics frowns heavily upon theft, vandalism, tagging, graffitti, and any other crime except for simple harmless trespassing. | |||
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. | |||
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> | |||
Exceptions to the rule exist. Graffitti in drains is often condoned or encouraged, as long as ] and other features aren't damaged. Some explorers remove items from abandoned sites, to preserve them or to have a souvenir. Many locations contain a small area reserved for leaving tags, known as a ''guest book''. | |||
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> | |||
See also: ], ] | |||
== |
== Legality == | ||
] 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"/> | |||
'''Community Resources''' | |||
* http://www.urbanexplorers.net - Information and the mailing list ''Underground'' | |||
* http://www.infiltration.org - The zine ''Infiltration'' | |||
], 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> | |||
'''Group & Personal Pages''' | |||
* | |||
== Hazards == | |||
* | |||
] 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> | |||
* | |||
* | |||
=== Deaths from urban exploration === | |||
* | |||
{| class="wikitable sortable" | |||
* | |||
! scope="col" |Date | |||
!Location | |||
! 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> | |||
|- | |||
|{{dts|26 April 2009}} | |||
|{{flagicon|USA}} ] | |||
|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> | |||
|- | |||
|{{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> | |||
|- | |||
|{{dts|21 March 2015}} | |||
|{{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> | |||
|- | |||
|{{dts|12 January 2017}} | |||
|{{flagicon|France}} ] | |||
|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> | |||
|- | |||
|{{dts|October 2017}} | |||
|{{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> | |||
|- | |||
|{{dts|June 2018}} | |||
|{{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> | |||
|- | |||
|{{dts|August 2019}} | |||
|{{flagicon|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.<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> | |||
|- | |||
|{{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> | |||
|- | |||
|{{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== | |||
{{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. | |||
== 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> | |||
* 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/> | |||
* 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 == | |||
===General=== | |||
*] | |||
*] | |||
*] | |||
*] | |||
*] | |||
*] | |||
*] | |||
===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.This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages)
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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
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.
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
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 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
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
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 tunnelUniversities, 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
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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | Chicago, United States | A Memphis photographer and urban explorer died after a 14-story fall off a hotel in Chicago while trespassing. |
June 2018 | 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 | 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 | Totnes, United Kingdom | A 22-year-old man died after falling from the roof of an abandoned factory. |
September 2021 | 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: RooftoppingRooftopping 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
- Some urban explorers use action cameras such as GoPro or other helmet cameras for videos.
- Some also use quadcopter drones for exploration and recording.
- 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
- Industrial tourism
- Modern ruins
- Abandoned graveyard
- Abandoned mine
- Abandoned railway
- Abandoned shopping plaza
- List of defunct amusement parks
Organizations
- Cave Clan, Australian urbex group
- Action Squad, American urbex group
References
- Ninjalicious (2005). Access All Areas: A User's Guide to the Art of Urban Exploration. Infilpress. p. 223. ISBN 9780973778700. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
- Nestor, James (19 August 2007). "The Art of Urban Exploration". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 20 June 2008.
- Stevenson, Seth (15 October 2000). "Forgive us our tresspasses". The Independent. London. p. 105. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
- 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.
- Scott, Michael (1 March 1993). "Hacking the Material World". Wired. Vol. 1, no. 3. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
- Lipin, David (January 1997). "Circling the Drain". Los Angeles. Vol. 42, no. 1. p. 18. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
- Gakuran, Michael (23 March 2010). "The Hazards of Haikyo and Urban Exploration". Retrieved 21 June 2011.
- "Haikyo: Abandoned Treasure". Weekender. May 2010. Retrieved 18 November 2010.
- "Zeljava Airbase". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
- "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.
- "Zeljava-jna_jedinice". Retrieved 27 April 2017.
- Shevchenko, Vitaly (11 February 2014). "The urban explorers of the ex-USSR". BBC. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
- Paris Underground Map (Map). Michel-Eugène Lefébure de Fourcy. 1841.
- Water, Municipal Sewer and (22 June 2020). "How to Keep Sewer Workers Safe". Municipal Sewer and Water. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
- Mele, Christopher (27 July 2020). "Urban Explorers Give Modern Ruins a Second Life". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
- "Urban explorers risking lives and arrest for social media glory, say experts". the Guardian. 18 March 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
- "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.
- "Urban exploration: the threat to business". City Security Magazine. 17 April 2020. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
- ^ Batz, Bob Jr. (7 September 2003). "Urban explorers dare to investigate seldom-seen Pittsburgh sites". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 20 June 2008.
- "Edge walkers: police call for end to 'rooftopping' before it's too late | Globalnews.ca". Global News. 7 November 2015. Retrieved 10 December 2022.
- Ebaster, Al (19 September 2007). "Legal Urban Exploration: 7 Tips for Visiting Historical Abandonments". Web Urbanist.
- Owen, Mary (5 December 2004). "Abandoned beauties: Urban explorers find adventure in ruins of old buildings". U-T San Diego. Retrieved 27 July 2009.
- Reinhart, Anthony. "Urban explorer pays for his hobby with his life". Retrieved 1 December 2022.
- "Woodbury man dies after being swept into river while exploring". RiverTown News. 26 April 2009. Archived from the original on 8 July 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
- Heron Marquez Estrada (26 April 2009). "Man dies, another rescued in drama along Mississippi River". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on 8 July 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
- "In Neman, a 9-year-old boy fell from the stairs of a destroyed fortress and died". klops. 17 June 2013. Archived from the original on 25 November 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
- "In Neman, the police found the corpse of a 9-year-old boy". new Kaliningrad. 17 June 2020. Archived from the original on 30 July 2013. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
- "Man exploring Brisbane city tunnels dies in heavy storm". Byron Shire News. 23 March 2015. Archived from the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
- "Man exploring Brisbane city tunnels dies in heavy storm". The Courier Mail. 23 March 2015. Archived from the original on 7 July 2021. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
- Noble-Werner, Baptiste (15 January 2017). "Lyon: Since the disappearance of Maxime, tributes have multiplied on the networks". 20minutes. Archived from the original on 12 November 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
- "Man taking photos falls 14 stories to his death at Chicago hotel". Retrieved 1 December 2022.
- Scotti, Ariel. "Urban explorer who died while photographing Philadelphia storm drain remembered as 'bando queen'". Retrieved 1 December 2022.
- Zabailovich, Julia (5 August 2019). ""One brick collapsed": details of the death of a teenager who crashed at Moscow". e1.ru. Archived from the original on 7 March 2021. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
- "In Yekaterinburg, a teenager crashed to death by falling from the roof of a one-story building". e1.ru. 3 August 2019. Archived from the original on 8 July 2021. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
- Smith, Daniel (2 August 2020). "'I cannot let him die in vain' Mum pays tribute to 'urban explorer' son who died after falling from roof". WalesOnline. Archived from the original on 7 August 2020. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
- Ningthoujam, Natalia. "34-Year-Old Russian YouTuber Falls To Death From Fire Escape While Shooting Video". Retrieved 1 December 2022.
- "Meet the rooftoppers: the urban outlaws who risk everything to summit our cities". The Guardian. 17 February 2015.
- Lucy Ash, Article in "BBC News" March 23, 2017
- "Afraid of heights? You'll still want to watch this". Red Bull. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
- ^ "The Hong Kong urban adventurers for whom nothing is too tall, or deep, or spooky". South China Morning Post. 14 April 2016. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
- "Meet the Place Hackers". Time (magazine). Retrieved 11 February 2017.
- Ives, Mike (7 February 2017). "Using Stealth, and Drones, to Document a Fading Hong Kong". The New York Times. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
- Harris, Jesse (30 January 2015). The Practical Guide to Ingress: What you really need to know without the extraneous junk. Jesse Harris. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
- "Why Pokémon Go will surprise you in your own city". Newsweek. 19 July 2016. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
- "Pokémon Go - A New Avenue for Urban Exploration » CSBE". Center for the Study of the Built Environment. Archived from the original on 12 February 2017. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
- Walker, Alissa (13 November 2014). "5 Apps That Help You Find Your City's Hidden Gems". Gizmodo. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
- "Abandoned App Leads You to Local Urban Exploration Sites". WebUrbanist. 26 February 2013. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
Further reading
- Garrett, Bradley L. (October 2013). Explore Everything: Place-Hacking the City. Verso Books, Brooklyn, London and Paris. ISBN 9781781681299. Retrieved 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
- Lyden, Jacki (14 September 2013). "New York Underground: Exploring City Caves and Catacombs". All Things Considered. NPR.
- Margaine, Sylvain (2009) Forbidden Places: Exploring Our Abandoned Heritage (Hardcover), ISBN 2-915807-82-5
- Ninjalicious (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
- Melody Gilbert's Urban Explorers: Into the Darkness (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
- Media related to Urban exploration at Wikimedia Commons
- Urban exploration travel guide from Wikivoyage