“Starting from Scratch” explores how a mobile tool can help newcomers develop a sense of belonging in their new city by encouraging active exploration and reflection. Drawing from personal experiences of relocation, the research examines the challenges of forming connections with unfamiliar places and proposes a mobile tool to support this process.
The study investigates how the tool influences cognitive, behavioral, and emotional dimensions of place attachment. Additionally, it draws on psychogeography to highlight how wandering and breaking routines can encourage deeper connection with the city.
Combining the double diamond of design thinking with research-creation methodologies, the study incorporates literature review, iterative prototyping, and user testing that inform the tool’s design while assessing the user experience.
The proposed GPS-enabled, browser-based tool overlays the city map with a hexagonal grid, turning it into a giant scratch card. As users navigate, their movement gradually scratches off the map, prompting exploration beyond familiar routes. Users assign personalized meanings to locations through color-based tagging, turning the map into a visual record of their relationship with the city. While initially designed for Downtown Toronto, it is adaptable to any walkable urban environment.
This study contributes to urban studies and human-computer interaction by introducing an interactive digital tool for place-making and place attachment.

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