Thanks, dear @tony_b I think you’re right—it may be rolling out gradually. 
Actually, I discovered this feature by chance. I was out on my bike and stopped at a restaurant when I suddenly noticed this new interface in Google Maps. It caught my attention, so when I got home I started analyzing it and did some research to understand how it works.
From what I found, Maps seems to separate things into two levels: a Regional Hub and a Local Area. For example, if you’re in Brisbane, the Regional Hub highlights the city’s main popular/commercial area, while the Local Area focuses on places around your current location. That’s how I understood this feature. Let’s see how it evolves as Google rolls it out to more regions.