Kingston has plenty of visitor guides, event listings, and “things to do” content. What it does not have is a practical belonging map for non-student adults, and newer residents trying to actually build a life here.

The Belong Map is a story-led photo and reel-based community discovery project that makes Kingston’s invisible social infrastructure more visible. Instead of showing where to visit, it will show where people start to belong.

The project has two outputs.

Primary output is a digital Belonging Map for non-student adults and newer residents, plus a limited printed version for participants. It will feature story- led photo posts of 8–12 low-cost, easy-to-access, low-pressure places and community entry points across Kingston, intentionally extending beyond downtown and tourist sites into neighbourhood-friendly spaces. The focus is on people who are by themselves, new here, or not yet rooted - people looking for places where they can start showing up alone, find low-pressure routines to meet others, to stop feeling temporary and start feeling local.
The pilot categories include:
• go alone without it being weird
• meet people without bars, apps, or networking
• low-cost places to start showing up
• become a regular somewhere
• easy first steps for newcomers
• join in without already knowing someone
• alcohol-free ways to be around people
• neighbourhood routines that make Kingston feel less temporary

Secondary output is a small portrait and reel series, How We Belong in Kingston, featuring real people and real places behind that map. Each story will answer a practical question: what helped this person find their footing here, and where should someone new start?

This project helps people live Kingston, not just visit it. The goal is to create a first public version that is useful, shareable, visually strong, and clearly grounded in real local routines and community spaces. A map that people could actually save, share and come back to use.