Leaping from the Eiffel Tower in a wingsuit. Scaling Shanghai Tower, one of the worlds tallest buildings. Camping on the roof of Philadelphias abandoned Eastern State Penitentiary. These scenarios are real examples of explorations, adventures, and infiltrations of the built environment. Thousands of people around the globe engage in the recreational activity of place hacking climbing, wading, jumping, or even ironing their way into prohibited or obscure spaces. Why do they do it? Is it the exhilaration of trespassing? Is it discovering a new perspective? Is it roving through surroundings in an unpredictable manner? Place hackers say its all these things—and more. Theyre pushing the boundaries of exploration in much the same way that Neil Armstrong, Jacques Cousteau, and James Cook travelled into the frontiers of Earth and outer space.
