Toyota’s latest creation isn’t a new car—it’s an entire city.
The automotive manufacturer recently completed phase one of building a new futuristic community in Japan, Bloomberg reported. Officially dubbed Woven City, the project will be located at the base of Mount Fuji at a 175-acre former factory site in Susono. Slated to launch this autumn, the metropolis will welcome its first 100 residents in its initial phase, consisting mainly of Toyota employees and their families. The population is forecasted to expand to 2,000 once it’s open to the general public.
Image courtesy of Toyota
Toyota tapped award-winning Danish architecture firm Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) for the design, which was unveiled to the public at a consumer electronics show five years ago. In its first phase of construction, Woven City has already earned Japan’s first LEED for Communities Platinum certification.
According to the marque, the plan is to create a fully sustainable city that features advanced, innovative technologies such as self-driving cars, artificial intelligence, and even smart homes that can enhance mobility, connectivity, and well-being. The future citizens of Woven City, to be called Weavers, will be the ones who actually test out these technologies being developed by the automaker while living there and deliver feedback.
Image courtesy of Toyota
“This year, residents will begin moving in as we slowly bring Woven City to life,” said Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda during a press conference on Monday. “We aim to accelerate the pace at which new technologies can be tested and developed at Woven City.”
The Japanese auto giant first announced the project back in 2020 and, at the time, envisioned the development as a “living laboratory” for researchers and start-ups. Similarly, in 2023, billionaire Elon Musk announced that he was building his own town in Texas to house Tesla and Space X employees. Last year, Tesla shareholders approved a proposal to move the company’s corporate listing to the Lone Star State.
Image courtesy of Toyota
Looking at the year ahead, Toyota has aspirations of launching an accelerator programme over the summer. The programme would invite entrepreneurs, universities, and research institutions from all over the world to Woven City to act as mentors for early start-ups.
