In the beginning of my research I focused on transformations of the urban leftover and void space found in between buildings, street networks, parks or other institutionalized public spaces into urban places of character. By studying the spatial qualities of different places and their relation to human activities in those places I came up with the main question of my thesis: Can a space be designed loose and/or can it be loosened by design? The concept of “heterotopia”, as described by Michel Foucault in his essay “Of Other Spaces: Utopias and Heterotopias”, is a place functioning in nonhegemonic conditions, the place of “otherness” that has more layers of meaning than meet the eye. That concept proved to be the best description and the bounding frame of the design part of my research. / Master of Science / This Urban Design thesis explores questions of complexity and layering in the structure of the city. The places that lack social and structural richness are often perceived as dull and absent of character. My questions are mainly focused on how this character can be introduced and what makes space a place. The main body of this study is conceptual graphical research on how, when and where the imaginary place can approximate and meet reality creating a type of city very different from the traditional image. This concept was intended to explore how the city can be made radically different without being a utopia or dystopia in its essence.