Abandoned areas attract tourists: why “ghost towns” have become a symbol of the 21st century
At the beginning of the 21st century, the phenomenon of cities built, but almost completely uninhabited, became more and more visible. Whether it's about empty megaprojects or about once-prosperous communities that have gradually emptied, the image of “ghost cities” has passed from the register of post-apocalyptic fiction to that of reality, becoming a symbol of an era marked by uncertainty and rapid changes, writes focus.ua.
Detroit, a symbol of industrial decline, lost more than 60% of its population/PHOTO: Archive
Ghost towns, a product of the real estate boom
China is considered the epicenter of this phenomenon. Accelerated urbanization has generated numerous neighborhoods and cities built “in advance”, in anticipation of an influx of residents and investments. In many of them, infrastructure – from schools and shopping centers to transport hubs – has been completed, but the population has remained well below the anticipated level.
The case of Kangbashi district in the Ordos attracted international media attention in 2009 when a TV report described it as an empty town, despite tens of thousands of people already living there. Although some of these areas later became populated, the years of stagnation turned them into a symbol of overoptimistic estimates and the vulnerability of the Chinese economic model.
Similar situations were observed in Turkey. The Burj Al Babas complex, a collection of villas erected in a pseudo-medieval style, became emblematic of the collapse of the housing market and the depreciation of the pound. The project, conceived for foreign investors, went into insolvency in 2019, leaving behind hundreds of unfinished buildings.
Deindustrialization and Brownfields in the United States
If in Asia ghost cities are the result of overdevelopment, in the United States they reflect the reverse process. Detroit, a symbol of industrial decline, has lost more than 60% of its population since the mid-20th century. Entire neighborhoods were abandoned, and the urban landscape became a mix of abandoned buildings and green spaces that sprung up spontaneously.
However, in recent years, the city has also become a story of regeneration. Factory ruins have been transformed into technology hubs, and Michigan Central Station, once a symbol of decay, has been restored and reimagined as a hub of innovation.
The climate crisis and the emergence of “sacrificed zones”
In other regions, climate change is the main factor fueling the emergence of abandoned cities. Sea level rise, wildfires and hurricanes have destroyed entire communities in the US, especially in Louisiana and on vulnerable coasts.
Environmentalists describe such places as “environmental sacrifice zones” – territories left behind to protect the rest of the system, but which also become a warning about the future.
Declining Demographics: Europe's Empty Villages
In Europe, the phenomenon is closely related to the decline of the rural population. In Bulgaria, Italy, Spain or Portugal, many villages have completely emptied as young people have migrated to the cities. Between 2014 and 2024, rural areas of the European Union lost more than 8% of their population, while large cities continued to grow.
However, these spaces do not remain completely empty. Resettlement programs, including the sale of houses at nominal prices or the resettlement of refugees in abandoned settlements, attempt to bring life back to these communities. In many places, nature is reclaiming its territory: foxes, wild boars and deer populate areas where humans have disappeared.
Why do ghost towns attract tourists?
In the last two decades, ruins and abandoned spaces have become tourist attractions in their own right. Part of the phenomenon known as “dark tourism”, these places attract visitors with their unusual atmosphere and the stories of life and loss they carry.
Photographers and content creators often transform these landscapes into images with a distinct aesthetic: overgrown stairs, rusted buildings, quiet streets. Famous examples are numerous – from the abandoned villages of Italy to industrial areas left to nature. And after the success of the HBO series Chernobyl, the city of Pripyat experienced a sudden increase in the number of tourists.
For some visitors, these spaces offer a form of escape: cities without traffic, advertisements or noise allow a different kind of experience of time.
Ghost Towns: Warning or Opportunity?
Some experts see these areas as a potential laboratory for the urbanism of the future – a place where new models of housing, sustainable agriculture and community revitalization can be tested. Others see them as a risk map: dots that indicate what can happen when societies ignore climate, demographic or economic signals.
It is certain that the image of deserted streets, crossed only by the wind, has become one of the defining metaphors of the 21st century – a reflection of the past, present and possible futures.
