There is a futuristic city designed and built from the ground up in Japan to test the latest technologies. It’s called Woven City, and it’s a bold experiment by Toyota to transition from being just an automaker to a broader mobility company focused on the future of movement. Far from a traditional testing ground, this is a fully functional urban environment designed for real people to live, work, and play while contributing to groundbreaking research.
Credit: Toyota
What exactly Is Woven City?
Think of Woven City as a real-world laboratory. This is a place where inventors, residents, and visitors come together to test and refine innovations in a city that’s, well, actually lived in. According to Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda, it’s “a place where people can invent and develop all kinds of new products and ideas… a living laboratory.” It’s Toyota’s ambitious project to create a testbed for autonomous vehicles, smart homes, robotics, and AI, all within a carefully designed urban environment. The aim is really to become a “mobility company” that focuses on the movement of people, goods, information, and energy.
Credit: Toyota
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Where is this futuristic city?
You’ll find Woven City in Susono City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, on the site of a former car plant. It’s a deliberate move, repurposing a space previously dedicated to traditional car manufacturing into a hub for future mobility solutions.
Credit: Toyota
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Who will live there?
Woven City isn’t just for robots and tech; it’s designed for people. The initial residents, expected to move in this fall, will be around 100 strong, primarily Toyota and “WbyT” (Woven by Toyota) employees and their families. The community will then expand to around 360 residents during its first phase. Eventually, the city plans to house around 2,000 people, including inventors, weavers, and visitors.
“Inventors” include Toyota employees, startups, and entrepreneurs focused on mobility solutions. “Weavers” are residents and visitors who will collaborate with inventors by testing new products and services. There are already several partner companies involved, including a soft drink company, a coffee company, an instant noodle company, an air-conditioning company, and an educational company.
Credit: Toyota
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The three streets: Prioritizing different modes of transportation
Woven City’s design incorporates a unique street system, separating traffic based on speed and usage to promote safety and efficiency. There are three types of streets:
Dedicated to faster vehicles: This lane is designated for autonomous vehicles and is optimized for the efficient and safe movement of goods and people.
Mixed-use street: This lane allows for a mix of lower-speed mobility, such as bicycles, scooters, and other personal mobility devices, alongside pedestrians.
Pedestrian-only park: Designed exclusively for pedestrians.
This layered approach ensures a balanced environment where different modes of transportation can coexist safely and sustainably, reflecting Woven City’s human-centered design philosophy.
Credit: Toyota
What’s the goal of this futuristic city?
The heart of Woven City is “co-creation.” It’s about bringing together diverse groups of people to develop human-centered solutions for societal challenges. Instead of testing in isolated labs, inventors can see how their products integrate into daily life. To support this, Woven City offers the “Woven Inventor Garage,” providing access to cutting-edge technologies. One cool example is the “Digital Twin,” a virtual simulation of the city where inventors can model scenarios and test products on a digital platform before deploying them in the real world.
Credit: Toyota
Mobility of goods, people, and information
So, what kind of innovations are being tested? Here are some of their Toyota’s pioneering efforts:
Mobility of goods & people: Testing Toyota’s e-Palette for automated transport, like bus services and mobile retail.
Smart logistics: Using delivery robots linked to smartphone apps to automate the transportation of goods.
Next-gen remote communications: Developing technologies to foster emotional connections between people who are physically apart, enhancing screen time for individual growth and social connections.
Credit: Toyota
From looms to living cities: Toyota’s core philosophy
It’s interesting to note that Toyota’s roots aren’t just in cars. The company’s founder, Sakichi Toyoda, revolutionized the textile industry with inventions that eased his mother’s work on a manual loom. This “for others” philosophy continues to drive Toyota’s initiatives, from automobiles to Woven City.
Kurt’s key takeaways
Woven City signifies Toyota’s commitment to shaping the future of mobility and creating a better world through innovation. As the first residents move in and the city continues to evolve, it will be interesting to watch how this “living laboratory” redefines what’s possible.
Would you want to live in a high-tech, experimental city like Toyota’s Woven City? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments below.
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