Residents are about to move into Toyota’s smart city

Japan’s Woven City smart city project is set to revolutionize urban living through the use of automated vehicles, robots, hydrogen energy, and artificial intelligence. This innovative project, located near Mount Fuji, is nearing completion and will soon welcome its first residents. The city, designed as a “living laboratory,” will serve as a testing ground for new technologies such as hydrogen energy, autonomous vehicles, robotics, and AI. With a total cost of 10.13 billion USD, Toyota is leading the development of this groundbreaking city.

Residents of Woven City will live in environmentally friendly smart houses powered mainly by hydrogen and equipped with photovoltaic batteries. The city will be divided into pedestrian areas, automated vehicle paths, and optional transportation routes, such as for bicycles. To bring this project to life, Toyota has partnered with the international architectural firm Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) for its construction.

Woven City will cover 708,000 square meters and is being built on the site of Toyota’s old Higashi-Fuji factory, which closed four years ago. The city is envisioned as a place for inventors and residents who share a passion for creating new technologies. With its diverse support systems, Woven City aims to drive advancements in technology and redefine transportation for the future.

Toyota’s transformation of its closed factory into Woven City follows the decision to repurpose the site after it was severely affected by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. The groundbreaking ceremony for Woven City took place in 2021, marking the start of a new era in urban living and technological innovation.