Studies in Europe and the UK have shown that the conscious design of urban environments can have economic benefits for cities, attracting migrants, investment and tourism. But what of tropical cities, where the assets of places are often considered in the natural realm such as beaches and forest? Urban spaces are often neglected as key elements of the tropical tourist experience, even though tourists may ultimately spend more time in them than at nature-based attractions. This paper examines how ‘knowing’ and ‘unknowing’ urban designers assemble the tropical urban space with tourists in mind. It draws on semi-structured interviews with 30 urban designers and tourism decision makers in an Australian tropical city whose economy is underpinned by nature-based tourism. Findings indicate that urban designers consider the ‘feel’ of the tropics to be a critical element, and that interaction with nature through vistas, trees, grass and water provide a safe interaction that is perceived to be preferred in the tropical experience.