Canterbury School of Architecture Talk

Canterbury School of Architecture Talk

I will be at the Canterbury School of Architecture tomorrow speaking on Explore Everything: Place Hacking the City. Opening drink will be at 5.30pm and the lecture at Lecture 6pm in the Architecture Building Foyer Space at UCA Canterbury. It is assumed that every inch...

Last Breath

Last Breath

A few months ago, I was contacted about a new project in London, asking if I wanted to meet up and potentially get involved. This was around the time my book had just been released and I had to pass on the offer. When the first Last Breath Video was released online, I...

What is art worth?

'A work of art is the unique result of a unique temperament.' -Oscar Wilde Let me start this post by saying that I don't really consider myself an artist. Although much of my work has artistic value in terms of aesthetic impact and presents critique through reflection...

Our own private island

Our own private island

Napoleon, as you might know, was a pretty aggressive dude. Between 1804 and 1812 British...

Iraq war subvertising

"The Middle East expert, Professor Fouad Ajami, predicts that after liberation, the streets in Basra and Baghdad are sure to erupt in joy." -Donald Rumsfeld, US Secretary of Defence, 2002 400 fake adverts were put up in tube trains across London Underground lines by a...

Urban etchings

I'm feeling inspired to adventure by the etchings of Giovanni Battista Piranesi. This one is my favourite. It's from a series he created in the 18th century called Carceri d'invenzione or 'Imaginary Prisons'. However, when look at the etching, I don't see a prison, I...

Night of adventure London

On Monday 11th March (tomorrow!) I will be at the Vue West End cinema, Leicester Square, London, WC2H 7AL speaking at the Night of Adventure organized by  Alastair Humphreys, an occasional series of lecture nights held to raise funds and awareness for Hope and Homes...

The force of images

I will be speaking on Thursday at the King's College London cities seminar. The title of the talk is 'The Force of Images: creating imaginative space through photography of the hidden city'. The event is public, please come along! Date - Thursday, 7th March Time -...

Hidden cities by Moses Gates

Moses Gates recently announced the publication of his new book Hidden Cities: Travels to the Secret Corners of the World's Great Metropolises; A Memoir of Urban Exploration. The book will not be out until March but you can pre-order a copy now and it's already getting...

Secret cities in the red bulletin

I have the cover photo on this month's Red Bulletin. Inside you will find an amazing spread of photos from Silent UK, Adventure Worldwide and Steve Duncan as well as cameos from Part of the Plan, the Eye of Silence, Moses Gates and Sleepy City.   The article doesn't...

Five new rules for the neoliberal academy

Three years ago, I fought against the tripling of UK student tuition fees. I did so not because it would effect me but because I'm from the US where we pay a premium for education and I know where that road leads: it's the road to the neoliberal academy....

BBC, whitworth and place hacking

With term ending and the year coming to a close, things became very busy here in Oxford. It began with an article in the Oxford Mail by my housemate Jamie Brooks about my past research and future plans. Immediately after it was released, BBC Radio Oxford called...

Cold angel: draping a giant

"Human beings must have action; and they will make it if they cannot find it." -Einstein ...

The end of place hacking

Well my friends - as we know, all good things must come to an end. After 100 posts and 500,000 unique visits since November 2008, it's time for Place Hacking to retire. It's been a pleasure everyone and hope many of you have followed me...

Urban explorers on the community channel

My documentary Urban Explorers: Quests for Myth Mystery and Meaning will be showing on the Community Channel starting today for those of you with a...

Britain by night

In late August, Winch and I were part of a program on ITV called Britain by Night. The show is now off-air but if you're interested in seeing it I have a direct link...

Capital striation

In the new issue of Photoworks Magazine, I have a piece called Capital Striation (pp 80-83). In the article, I highlight the increasing spatial constriction taking place today in cities and offer up urban exploration as a tactic of counter-surveillance that renders...

Apocalypse now: thinking about ruins and radiation

I will be speaking at this event on the 28th November at the Whitworth Art Gallery. The event is free but please book a place if you would like to attend. A half-day seminar looking at artistic and scientific responses to industrial and other modern ruins, with Jane...

I've got a little cameo (with a great quote from my book BUNKER) on Suspicious Minds, S.2 E.1 | The Black Seas of Infinity. Loving the podcast, Agoric Media! #ai #po...

The Sutro Tunnel, Nevada — two miles driven through the mountain in the 1860s to drain, ventilate, and unlock the Comstock Lode: the most significant mining discovery in American history. It sparked a massive rush, transformed the West, funded 19th-century San Francisco, and

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The Authors Guild announced it has expanded its "Human Authored" certification program beyond its own membership to any author whose books are published in the United States. The organization also said that publishers will be able to purchase certifications in bulk.

For those in London, my good friend Ben Nathan will be speaking about his new exhibition featuring photos and maps of Bounds Green Brook on 14 March:

Death Valley has long been one of my favorite National Parks. I returned after the winter storms this year and was amazed yet again. Badwater Basin is a 10cm-deep lake, and wildflowers are blooming everywhere. If you're thinking about going: go.

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There are 200 or so known underground cities in Cappadocia, carved into the volcanic tuff. The largest one, Derinkuyu, is 18 stories deep and has 50 ventilation shafts, wells and reservoirs, space for livestock, and rolling stones to seal the tunnels in case of attack.

Ancient

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The Old Dutch Cleanser Mine. From 1923-1947, twelve workers were employed here and produced 120,000 tons of pumicite. Ore was lowered 475 feet down a rail tramway to loading bins and shipped off to LA. So photogenic!

Attention, city dwellers! We're interested in identifying university-owned or commercially managed underground urban tunnels & facilities able to host research & experimentation. https://go.usa.gov/xVWCn

It's short notice... We're asking for responses by Aug. 30 at 5:00 PM ET.