The playground - which is costing nearly $600,000 - is part of the last stages of the George St retail quarter upgrade.
The playground would be bounded by a row of seating and concrete dividers, creating a solid boundary, a council spokesman said.
There is also a buffer created by the pedestrian and cycle movement zone between the play space and the vehicle lane.
"George St is a 10kmh shared space with anticipated low traffic flows. We still expect parents to exercise oversight of young children using the space, just as they would in any other part of the street."
The space had been constructed in accordance with all appropriate play standards and had been audited independently, he said.
It also had soft fall mats made from recycled rubber to protect users.
Asked whether the council was concerned about the playground being used by inebriated tertiary students, the spokesman said it was not.
"Having spaces along the street that are welcoming for people of all ages to congregate and have some fun was advocated for by many groups during the engagement phase.
"Students are an integral part of our community and we welcome anyone who wants to use the space respectfully. The equipment has been built robustly to reflect its public setting and the inherent risks."
Engagement on the redesign of specific play elements was undertaken throughout 2023 with "targeted stakeholders most likely to use the space", he said.
This included youth representatives through the Youth Council and disability advocates, alongside input from play specialists experienced in the design of play equipment.
Four separate contracting firms were involved in the project.
"With projects of this scale, both design firms and engineering firms are required to design and deliver different elements.
"Jasmax has been our designer for the whole George St redesign, alongside mana whenua through our retail quarter upgrade project partner Aukaha.
"For the play space, an engineering firm was hired to construct the seesaws and shade elements, and an independent play auditor oversaw the design. The accessible seesaw was purchased off the shelf."
Social media response to the playground has been mixed.
While some have suggested it would be a "great addition to the city" that would help make the centre a more "child-friendly" place, others have raised concern about the cost of the project.
Discussion about the playground began on April 14, 2022, when the council held an extraordinary meeting to discuss the detailed design report for the George St upgrades.
