With 909 public playgrounds scattered across Tāmaki Makaurau, we’re spoilt for choice on where to spend quality time with friends and whānau. But these aren’t just random play spaces – they are the result of a dedicated, data-driven mission to make sure every Aucklander, regardless of age or ability, has a place to move; and from massive “destination” playgrounds to quiet neighbourhood swings, the variety on offer ensures play enthusiasts won’t get bored.
Being surrounded by this many purpose-built spaces to have fun isn’t accidental – it's a science. And behind every park you'll find a team of experts who work hard to ensure we’re building the right playgrounds in the right places.
“Providing great playgrounds is a key way that council can help people with their physical and mental wellbeing, as well as creating community spaces for connecting,” says Chair of Community Committee, Councillor Julie Fairey.
“Through using data and mapping we can make sure that we are meeting the needs of our growing and changing population, including providing for different types of play as part of a local network, like ensuring teens can climb and toddlers can use sand laboratories in their own rohe (area). Every part of Tāmaki Makaurau is unique and planning for that thoughtfully is important to making Auckland an even better place to live.”
So what goes into making a playground a reality? It’s more than child’s play!
In fact, you could say it takes a village to build a playground - in addition to local boards and input from the community, there are also landscape architects, engineers, and safety experts, along with artists, iwi and mana whenua to ensure the design reflects our local stories and values. Other considerations include CPTED (crime prevention through environmental design), designing for inclusive access so the playground works for as many children as possible, and a factor called play value – the specific mix of swinging, sliding, jumping and balancing that makes a playground particularly appealing in its variety.
Not all playgrounds are created equal (and why that’s a good thing)
Check out some of Auckland's best playgrounds |
Ever wondered why some parks have a simple swing set, while others have massive water-play features and giant climbing towers? It’s all about ‘play hierarchy’.
Papatoetoe Stadium Reserve.
Neighbourhood Playgrounds: These are the local legends. They’re smaller, easy to walk to, and designed for a quick daily burn-off of energy for the nearby community.
Suburb Playgrounds: A step up in size, these amenities offer a bit more variety for the wider surrounding area and cater to more people.
Destination Playgrounds: These are the popular spots that people travel to from all over the city to visit; they cater to a wide age range, include unique offerings like water features and are designed for a full day of fun with the whole whānau.
When deciding on what playground and where, local boards use research such as Play Network Gap Analysis studies to make sure they aren’t just building playgrounds randomly. They look at where the population is growing, what age groups live nearby, and what’s missing. Does a suburb have enough ‘spinning’ features? Are there lots of slides but no sand play? This data helps boards make fair decisions about where to spend limited funding so that every Aucklander gets a fair go at a great play experience, and where possible, takes inclusivity into account, for play without barriers.
And the city is constantly evolving. In a typical year, Auckland Council tackles:
Rānui Domain playground.
6 new playgrounds: built from scratch where a ‘gap’ has been identified in a new or growing suburb.
15 renewal projects: this is the playground equivalent of a glow-up. It could be a partial fix or a full ‘end of life’ replacement to ensure everything complies with relevant NZ safety standards.
Check out the impressive network of play spaces managed by Auckland Council:
909 public access playgrounds: that’s nearly a thousand spots to climb, slide or swing on.
84 skateparks: for the shredders and rollers.
85 fitness stations: for those who prefer their ‘play’ in the form of a workout.
Don’t leave us hanging: share your feedback
At the end of the day, these spaces are designed for Aucklanders. Local boards and project teams want to hear from the people who actually use them. Next time there’s a consultation for a park in your area, jump in! Whether it’s better climbing features, or a specific theme, your feedback helps shape the future of fun in Auckland.