Urban exploration

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Urban exploration, 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 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 reality hacking, "urban spelunking", and "urban caving."

Contents

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Targets of exploration

UE can further be separated into subcategories. Urban explorers do any or all of these things, but often specialize on one or two.

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Abandonments

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 graffiti and other vandalism. Explorers face various risks in abandoned structures including collapsing roofs and floors, broken glass, guard dogs, the presence of chemicals and other harmful substances, most notably, asbestos. Some explorers wear respirators to protect airways.

Exploration targets vary from one country to another, but some of the more popular or high-profile abandonments include Grain elevators, Missile silos, Hospitals, lunatic asylums, and sanatoriums.

Most, if not all explorers of abandonments find the decay of inhabited 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, 'urban archaeologists,' 'ghosthunters' and fans of graffiti art.

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Tunnels

Active tunnels include steam (such as those found under large building complexes with a central boiler), electricity, telephone, water, and other utility tunnels; subway or Underground Railway and other transit tunnels; and stormwater or sanitary sewers.

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Utility tunnels

Universities and other large institutions (such as hospitals) often distribute steam for heating buildings from a central heating plant (Boiler House). These steam ducts are generally run through tunnels, which are often accessible to humans for the purposes of maintenance. North American Universities that have steam tunnels often also have a tradition of steam tunnel exploration by students. This was once called vadding at MIT, though students there now refer to it as Roof and tunnel hacking.

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.

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Sewers and storm drains

Entry into storm drains, or draining, is another common form of UE. Groups devoted to the task have arisen, such as the Cave Clan in Australia. Draining has a specialized set of guidelines, the foremost of which is "When it rains, no drains."

A small subset of explorers enters sanitary sewers. Sometimes they are the only connection to caves or other subterranean feature. Sewers are among the most dangerous locations to explore.

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Transit tunnels

The penalties for getting caught in subway/underground railway tunnels are some of the strictest involved in this hobby. As a result, subway exploration is usually the least publicised type of exploration. New York City and Toronto probably have the largest number of subway explorers, although others exist in most major European cities, including London and Moscow.

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Active buildings

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.

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Ethics

Most urban explorers understand the potential risks of trespassing, and what they face if caught. However, the crime is generally seen as a means to an end, rather than the focal point of the hobby. Urban explorers tend to adhere to a basic code of ethical practices, out of respect for the locations they visit, as well as for the sake of other explorers who may want to visit later. However, the hobby is ultimately an unstructured one, and there are rarely two explorers with the same views on ethics.

The idea behind these ethical practices is to leave buildings in the same state that they were in before they were visited. The common, but not always 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, graffiti, and any other crime except for trespassing.

Exceptions to these rules do exist. Graffiti in drains is sometimes condoned or encouraged in some circles, as long as speleothems and other features aren't damaged. Drainers may use it to indicate how far down the drain a given explorer has been. Some explorers remove items from abandoned sites, to preserve them or to keep as souvenirs. Some above-ground explorers also don't mind breaking doors to get into sites, while other explorers frown on it.

Many locations contain a small area reserved for leaving tags, known as a guest book. These vary from actual books to blackboards to pieces of scrap metal or wood, or even the dust on an old piece of machinery. Many explorers choose to leave their mark non-permanently, although permanent (paint) guestbooks are equally as common. Rarely, employee guestbooks will be found, made before the business in question closed.

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In the media

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Television

  • A 2004 episode of CSI (Down the Drain) involved a person supposedly killed while 'draining'.
  • A 2006 episode of Law & Order involved urban exploration.
  • The Discovery Channel filmed and aired a 5-episode TV series with the title "Urban Explorers". The 5 episodes are Buffalo, Chicago, Denver, Milwaukee, and Pittsburgh.
  • A 2006 episode of CSI:Miami (Free Fall) involved 2 Urban Explorers taking artifacts from an abandoned hotel.
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Books

Many excellent urban exploration books are available, including:

  • 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 0973778709
  • Wand, Eku and Arnold, Dietmar (2000). Berlin im Untergrund: Potsdamer Platz. Eku interactive e.K., Berlin, Germany. ISBN 3935709021
  • Deyo, L.B. and Leibowitz, David "Lefty". Invisible Frontier: Exploring the tunnels, ruins & rooftops of hidden New York. Three Rivers Press. ISBN 609809318
  • Solis, Julia. New York Underground: The Anatomy of a City. Routledge. ISBN 0415950139

The following two photography books by Chilean-born, New York–based photographer and documentarian Camilo José Vergara 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.

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See also

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External links

nl:Urban exploring fi:Urbaani löytöretkeily fr:Exploration urbaine

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