Rotokauri housing development launches with 72 sections for community living

The Edin Rotokauri village development is taking a human-centric approach to living. Image / Supplied

Better living and a sense of belonging - but most of all, the community - are the main focuses of a new housing development in the north of Hamilton, Edin Rotokauri.

The driving force behind the development, Made Group, which is registered in Auckland, has just released the first 72 sections on the 137-hectare area, which has a total capacity of up to 2000 homes.

Edin Rotokauri will follow the model of Made's flagship project Auranga in Drury, Auckland, and is designed as an interconnected community which includes a retirement village, a primary school, an early childhood centre, an integrated transport strategy, cafés and green corridors.

About 50 per cent of the site will be kept as community parks, nature reserves and eco-greenways for public access, as the development is also planned to highlight the Waikato region's status as New Zealands's food basket.

Made founder and chief executive Charles Ma says the planned Edin Rotokauri development would celebrate the local ecology, provenance and abundance.

"It's a holistic model, designed to harmonise people with nature and all the integral ingredients for integrated living, moving, belonging and sharing," Ma says.

Edin Rotokauri, in the planning since 2018, will include some houses with prices starting at $715,000.

The development, now in Stage 1, is meant to include a retirement village, primary school and early childhood centre. Image / Supplied

The Hamilton development is planned to be designed for the long-term, as a "truly connected community offering a genuinely better way of living" based around sustainably connecting the concepts of people, place and nature, Made says.

The Waikato region, renowned as New Zealands's food basket, is planned to be reflected in the development through an encapsulation of the region's ecological, food valley and garden culture.

"Increasingly, people are looking for a sense of belonging. We intend to connect people with the land and the fresh local food basket it can provide," Ma says.

"We emphasise green spaces for residents to enjoy and explore what is possible with urban agriculture."

The group's big vision is to create better cities and communities worth inheriting for future generations.

With the Hamilton development, the group intends to set a national standard for urban and nature design and integrated mobility that is meeting people's live-work-play needs in one place.

Edin Rotokauri will host an open day this Saturday, November 19, from noon to 6 pm at 76 Burbush Road.

The family-friendly programme includes free icecream and coffee, kids' activities, food trucks, guided tours and live music.