A $1.4 million adult playground has opened in Parramatta

The new urban park, Junction Street Plaza, opened last week in Parramatta.
Costing $1.4 million, the park transformed unused space under the M4 motorway.
The park is designed for young adults and teens, to give them a place to get together and participate in outdoor activities.
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Underneath one of Sydney’s major motorways now lies an urban park, with space to play table tennis and basketball, dance, skate and even do parkour. Junction Street Plaza officially opened on April 10, transforming 1,000 square metres of underused space under the M4 motorway.

The exciting thing about this playground? It’s not aimed at children.

Plans for the adult playground started to come together in early 2022 with construction beginning in late 2024. The council had three rounds of community consultation in order to create a space that suited the neighbourhood and surrounding areas.

Sydney-based mural artist Nico Nicoson has brightened up the space with his signature murals. There are bright orange table tennis tables with funky seating, hanging seats in the “social space”, a basketball court and a green space.

table tennis table in the adult playground — *The colourful table tennis tables. (Image via City of Parramatta Council)*

“I’m proud to say that Junction Street Plaza is up there with some of the best urban parks around the world, providing a unique activity zone for teens and young adults,” the Lord Mayor of the City of Parramatta, Martin Zaiter, said.

“Parramatta is a growing global City where the young people of today and tomorrow can access a range of public spaces that support their growth and hobbies. With more people living in apartments than ever before, this unique open space adds to our City’s great range of parks and sports grounds that are well-located and close to home.”

The project was created and funded alongside the NSW Government through its 2021/22 Places to Play Program. Places to Play has provided $16.7 million in funding to 35 projects across NSW. The aim is to encourage young people and adults to get active and socialise through recreational outdoor activities.

Other projects include the Campbelltown Marsden Park Playspace upgrade, which was allocated $200,000 in funding, and the creation of the Glenwood Skate Space in Blacktown ($375,000).

In November 2023, the City of Parramatta council shared design concepts with young people at a community consultation for the urban park. They found that 83% of respondents supported the project, and that the highest priority for the community was to have more green space. This informed the design of the park, and hopefully will result in locals enjoying and using the space.