Question - Will UE as a hobby simply become extinct if there are no old/abandoned buildings left and security becomes tighter?

[mookster]

Interesting to hear security has gotten more intense in recent years. I have to say I'm shocked at the amount of security everywhere I go - remote locations down dirt tracks, dumpy houses without much interest in the middle of the woods, doesn't matter, there's CCTV. Usually with motion sensors as well. Who knows if they're even working, but It all seems very intense compared to what I was used to in the states.

The technological advancement in security now compared to what it was like when I personally began 15 years ago is definitely something. Back then it was rare to find things with anything more serious than wooden boards or metal sheeting or in the case of larger locations, a bored guard sat in a cabin somewhere. Nowadays the remote monitored CCTV towers are becoming more and more present, in more and more surprising locations (I found a load of them around the ruinous Overstone Hall earlier in the summer for instance!). They're not infallible of course but are a very visible deterrent for a lot of people, more so than just steel sheeting covering windows or doors.

Going off on a bit of a tangent but somewhat relevant as it plays into the constant battle between owners wanting to keep people out and us wanting to get in - I think the most amusing case of evolving security vs the people is the case of the Detroit Public Schools organisation - schools there pretty much all start out heavily secured and alarmed but over time people - scrappers/pikeys - would gradually work their way inside and cut the power so they could have their way with the copper. So in the olden days the schools would then be boarded up, which evolved into using those big metal VPS shutters. They worked great for a time until DPS realised that after scrappers stripped everything from a school they were then removing and scrapping the VPS shutters too. So their solution now is genius - inch thick clear acrylic is now placed over all the openings, which is both worthless to scrappers and also almost impossible to cut into quickly for anyone wanting to get in for a nose around.

 

[FrostysParadise]

The technological advancement in security now compared to what it was like when I personally began 15 years ago is definitely something. Back then it was rare to find things with anything more serious than wooden boards or metal sheeting or in the case of larger locations, a bored guard sat in a cabin somewhere. Nowadays the remote monitored CCTV towers are becoming more and more present, in more and more surprising locations (I found a load of them around the ruinous Overstone Hall earlier in the summer for instance!). They're not infallible of course but are a very visible deterrent for a lot of people, more so than just steel sheeting covering windows or doors.

Going off on a bit of a tangent but somewhat relevant as it plays into the constant battle between owners wanting to keep people out and us wanting to get in - I think the most amusing case of evolving security vs the people is the case of the Detroit Public Schools organisation - schools there pretty much all start out heavily secured and alarmed but over time people - scrappers/pikeys - would gradually work their way inside and cut the power so they could have their way with the copper. So in the olden days the schools would then be boarded up, which evolved into using those big metal VPS shutters. They worked great for a time until DPS realised that after scrappers stripped everything from a school they were then removing and scrapping the VPS shutters too. So their solution now is genius - inch thick clear acrylic is now placed over all the openings, which is both worthless to scrappers and also almost impossible to cut into quickly for anyone wanting to get in for a nose around.

Wow! This is both fascinating and infuriating. Give it enough time and these acrylic barriers will start appearing in the UK. The UK loves reinventing itself as being the most insufferable country on earth IMO

I suppose it depends on the costs to implement acrylic barriers, and whether the property owner can be bothered with it etc. There are a number of factors that could potentially decide the fate of a given location.

One thing's for sure, security, however you come to define it, is on the rise and it is getting ridiculous. Gone are the days of feeble metal fencing and ineffectual blue and yellow signage.

 

[norfolkexplorer]

Maybe with so many years of the Conservatives in power, we will unfortunately start to see more companies shut down, so more things will be able to be explored 🤷‍♂️

 

[mookster]

Maybe with so many years of the Conservatives in power, we will unfortunately start to see more companies shut down, so more things will be able to be explored 🤷‍♂️

Labour is doing a pretty good job of spooking businesses in their short time in power currently.

 

[Olkka]

Absolutely spot on. It's complete overkill. I'm in two minds about returning to some of my recent finds for this very reason. Threatening signage and sometimes up to three CCTV cameras, although I've no idea if they are even hooked-up to any sort of power source, or if they are PoE cameras or just dummies. I live in a relatively small place too, so Police are bored and would relish the opportunity to "catch" me in the act. I recently stumbled upon a dirt driveway that was severely overgrown and I took a walk down to see what lurked beyond. I could see debris and random doors, pieces of metal etc strewn along the path so all the signs were positive. Eventually I spotted a house that looked rough from the outside, with some boarded-up windows etc. There was a camera right on the side facing the driveway, and a lamp was on downstairs. Who is living in these places?? It totally extinguishes the flame and I am not about to get caught climbing into somebody's house.

Well, unfortunately one makes one’s own bed RE derelict houses - at risk of this becoming another riotous thread on slamming residential umb3x, the equation is rather simple: hordes of low class Facebook go pro stick types descending upon every other old granny’s bungalow at the end of the unbeaten track in the sticks for the last 10 years like a festival + <£50 wall mounted lil cctv cameras with next week free delivery from Teemu coming to market = you do the maths on the observations you mention

 

[jST]

I miss the old days.

 

[mookster]

I miss the old days.

Simpler times.

 

[FrostysParadise]

I miss the old days.

Yeah, I could list a million and one reasons why I miss the old days, too. The list is almost endless, frankly.

 

[FrostysParadise]

Simpler times.

For sure, and not just from an Urbex perspective. A close friend of mine often says "rose tinted glasses" out loud half-jokingly whenever I go on an anti-social media/smartphones rant or when I talk about how the old days pre-2012 were better, but even he cannot deny the ever-growing list of negatives and the dark direction in which society is headed.

There are always negatives, but the internet used to be an information tool and a place for enthusiasts to gather on forums. Now it's just ads, pay walls, short form content, attention seeking, clout chasing, cancer and cringe everywhere you turn.

I loathe it.

 

[FrostysParadise]

Well, unfortunately one makes one’s own bed RE derelict houses - at risk of this becoming another riotous thread on slamming residential umb3x, the equation is rather simple: hordes of low class Facebook go pro stick types descending upon every other old granny’s bungalow at the end of the unbeaten track in the sticks for the last 10 years like a festival + <£50 wall mounted lil cctv cameras with next week free delivery from Teemu coming to market = you do the maths on the observations you mention

Residential locations/houses are certainly a risky area of UE no doubt, particularly when surrounded by actively lived-in houses on a normal street. The cops would unquestionably suspect one of burglary or the intention to burgle. Tricky situation to get out of for sure!

 

[paulpowers]

There will always be empty buildings, tunnels, culverts and drains
Tech is making it more difficult in some regards but it's also making our lives easier, we can now go to a site and throw a drone up to get a quick look around to see entry points and security
We can load up satellite views on our phones to find access points, we can then use the same phones to get pictures which are often a higher resolution than traditional cameras so we don't need to carry around tons of equipment.
We either evolve or go extinct

 

[KPUrban_]

Do you think UE as a hobby will ever become extinct or impossible to pursue if there simply aren't any old/abandoned buildings or locations left any more?

This really depends on the individual's preferences.
It's highly unlikely that there will never be any disused sites standing across the country as it is a natural progression for any structure or building.
What I mean is: A building gets built, its used for a while, and then it is vacated for some reason which usually results in demolition or reuse.
The actual building itself, in terms of the design and use, is often the difference between it being interesting and worthwhile or something that has absolutely no notable value.
As it stands today a lot of the currently in-use and newly built factories, hospitals, houses and whatever else would fall into the "no notable value" section for many people. Despite this, interests change over time as Olkka has said already on this thread:

...folk in the 60s probably thought only Victorian/Regent/Georgian architecture was hot shit, and new Brutalist blocks were a disgrace, and now here we are fawning over coffee table books about Brutalist architecture as uber cool.... ...some kind of similar cycle will probably have come around

At the same time, the likely hood of many derelict buildings being left standing is another matter. It takes a long time for any structure to reach a point where you'd consider it derelict or old and with how fast governments and companies are to build new warehouses and homes, it would certainly be possible that derelict buildings could become a near impossibility.
In short, when thinking about the question literally, no.

As security measures become more accessible, easier to install and cheaper to run, and all of the old buildings are gradually demolished or saved from demolition and restored/protected etc, and more new builds come along, what will this mean for us?

Will the hobby die, or do you think that the conditions that allow for a building to become abandoned in the first place are such an ingrained part of the human experience that there will always be abandoned buildings?

Security measures have been an interesting evolution. With each advancement in tech there's always been some sort of way around it with enough smarts and some folk are able to craft ingenious methods to get past each and every layer of defence.
Another thing to consider, and you'd know if you've seen one of the many DikTok arts and crafts tutorials, is that no matter how advanced or sophisticated a tool is: someone will still use it incorrectly or inefficiently. There have been plenty of occasions where sites are secured using each and every type of camera, sensor, dog, van and, agency-employed guard and, yet they've left a door open or something daft.

 

[FrostysParadise]

There will always be empty buildings, tunnels, culverts and drains
Tech is making it more difficult in some regards but it's also making our lives easier, we can now go to a site and throw a drone up to get a quick look around to see entry points and security
We can load up satellite views on our phones to find access points, we can then use the same phones to get pictures which are often a higher resolution than traditional cameras so we don't need to carry around tons of equipment.
We either evolve or go extinct

Yeah I suppose you're right. Like I said before, the conditions that render a building abandoned are so integral to life that there will probably always be new ones popping up, whether it be a bland office building or some granny bungalow at the end of an overgrown driveway, as Olkka put it lol.

I just had an existential crisis of sorts, realising how fragile the hobby can be if there simply aren't any locations to explore or any ways inside.

Cherish the explores while they're possible, I say.

 

[FrostysParadise]

This really depends on the individual's preferences.
It's highly unlikely that there will never be any disused sites standing across the country as it is a natural progression for any structure or building.
What I mean is: A building gets built, its used for a while, and then it is vacated for some reason which usually results in demolition or reuse.
The actual building itself, in terms of the design and use, is often the difference between it being interesting and worthwhile or something that has absolutely no notable value.
As it stands today a lot of the currently in-use and newly built factories, hospitals, houses and whatever else would fall into the "no notable value" section for many people. Despite this, interests change over time as Olkka has said already on this thread:


At the same time, the likely hood of many derelict buildings being left standing is another matter. It takes a long time for any structure to reach a point where you'd consider it derelict or old and with how fast governments and companies are to build new warehouses and homes, it would certainly be possible that derelict buildings could become a near impossibility.
In short, when thinking about the question literally, no.


Security measures have been an interesting evolution. With each advancement in tech there's always been some sort of way around it with enough smarts and some folk are able to craft ingenious methods to get past each and every layer of defence.
Another thing to consider, and you'd know if you've seen one of the many DikTok arts and crafts tutorials, is that no matter how advanced or sophisticated a tool is: someone will still use it incorrectly or inefficiently. There have been plenty of occasions where sites are secured using each and every type of camera, sensor, dog, van and, agency-employed guard and, yet they've left a door open or something daft.

That's a very good point re: the evolution of security measures. Sometimes all it takes is human error and bingo, you have a way inside an otherwise "impenetrable" fortress. I've seen locations in the past that were fully sealed except for one pokey wee window towards the back of the building that they forgot about. There just so happened to be a small tree next to it, and that was it. Relying on human error however isn't sustainable, mistakes aren't always going to happen.

I also do agree that a lot of it is subjective. There doesn't seem to be a universally agreed standard; a granny bungalow in the woods might be of no interest to one person, but deemed a goldmine to the next. The style and age of a building might be of no interest to you, but very attractive to me.

Nature will inevitably do its thing, and when it does, we'll be there.

 

[siologen]

Still Hundreds of unfound/unexplored drains out there.