New playground signals Hamilton CBD’s next chapter as inner-city grows

Monday, 20 July 2026

The under-construction playground at Hinemoa Park looks set change the way people view inner-city life in Hamilton.

Spades are in the ground for Hamilton’s first CBD playground, marking a new chapter for the country’s fastest-growing city.

While a recent council report painted a bleak picture for the central city, residents, businesses and local leaders say developments are making the CBD not just a place to visit, but a place to live.

Work on the new play space at Hinemoa Park is now underway, with construction expected to be complete by the end of the year.

More people are making the central city home according to Sonia Baker, the council’s acting unit director for sustainable communities.

Deputy mayor and chair of the city revitalisation subcommittee Geoff Taylor said the new playground would be the “making of” the West Town Belt, a 54-hectare green space on the outskirts of the CBD.

A play space would bring more people into the central city, he said, especially from nearby suburbs within walking distance of Hinemoa Park.

“I think it could become a real focal point, that area, and I really want to see our West Town Belt used.

Deputy mayor Geoff Taylor said more people living in the inner city would help boost the CBD.

“All great cities… have a really cool green space in there so that people can actually relax and breathe.”

He believed more people would choose to make the CBD home as the city grew.

'That will give a critical mass to boost the central city as well and revitalise it.

Inner-city townhouses on London St. Residents say the location is convenient, with plenty of amenities close by.

“What we're trying to do is cater for that by providing the amenities, making sure that they've got the gyms, the parks, the playgrounds, so that it's actually a pleasant place to live.”

Convenience was one of the biggest drawcards for inner-city residents the Waikato Times spoke to.

Sidhant Raval moved into a townhouse with his wife Vaani Shah six months ago after deciding their Hamilton Lake house was too big for them.

The Parkhaven apartments overlook Hinemoa Park. In 2022, Hamilton City Council was a recipient of $150 million from central government’s Infrastructure Acceleration Grant to support inner-city growth.

His wife worked in town and his business in Hamilton East was “easy” to commute to, making living centrally convenient for the couple.

“Everything is nearby,” he said, adding they lived close to amenities such as supermarkets, health clinics and petrol stations.

His neighbour, Wytthakan Waunnasaut, had moved to central Hamilton from Taumarunui so his daughter could study at Hamilton Girls’ High School.

Wooden Spoon owner Hannah Alley has noticed more people in the city since the start of the year, which she credits to the BNZ Theatre opening.

His workplace, a Thai restaurant, was also located nearby.

He reckoned the city centre looked better and there were more tourists compared to when his family settled there three years prior.

Local business owners had also noticed an increase in visitors to the CBD. Wooden Spoon café owner Hannah Alley said the central city had been “humming” since the beginning of the year.

15,930 people lived in Hamilton Central and the surrounding suburbs of Frankton, Maeroa and Whitiora last year, up from 13,638 in 2018.

'I think the central city is doing pretty well at the moment. I'm pretty happy with being here.'

She believed people from the outer suburbs were making an effort to come into the CBD and credited the BNZ Theatre for reminding residents the central city had something to offer.

With Wooden Spoon located just around the corner from Hinemoa Park, Alley reckoned the new play space would make the area more appealing.

Spades are in the ground for Hamilton’s first CBD playground at Hinemoa Park.

More people living in the central city was a good thing, she said, especially if it suited their lifestyles and they worked nearby.

While many Hamiltonians were staunch on living in larger spaces, she did not think everyone needed it.

“I think it's such a good progression for the city.”

Sonia Baker, the council’s acting unit director for sustainable communities, said the council was beginning to see an increase in people moving into the central city.

She credited this to a recent pipeline of residential and commercial projects in the area, including the Hinemoa Apartments.

“We're supporting developers [to] build homes and apartments in the central city and surrounds, which is only going to be encouraging for an increased population.”

Hamilton City Council was a recipient of $150 million from central government’s Infrastructure Acceleration Grant to support inner-city growth in 2022, which is expected to enable 4000 new homes to be built in the central city by 2035.

Last year, 15,930 people lived in Hamilton Central and the surrounding suburbs of Frankton, Maeroa and Whitiora, up from 13,638 in 2018.

“It really does show a positive [trend] and also supports Hamilton being the fastest growing city,” Baker said.

“We're certainly encouraging people to come into central city, more so than before and I think we are trying to cater for the various needs that people have.

“People may want to live closer to where they work or where their children might go to school.

“The fact that we do have strong investment and major development projects happening in the city… really does make confidence in the central city's future.”