How the Japanese Automaker Plans to Test-Drive the Future
Woven City is still under construction but will be a testing ground for Toyota’s various futuristic technologies. You can expect to see not just autonomous cars but also robotics and many applications for artificial intelligence.
In Woven City, daily life will be a little different. Designed by Toyota to test everyday living with autonomous transportation, AI, and robots, it’s not quite a “smart city.” However, Woven City should be instrumental in bringing some brilliant innovations into the world.
The Basics of Woven City’s Design
Woven City will be constructed on the grounds of a closed Toyota Motor Corp. plant. The first phase will span 47,000 square meters, which is around the size of five baseball fields. Eventually, it will be expanded to cover 294,000 square meters.
The city’s unique name was chosen to honor Toyota’s humble beginnings as an automatic textile loom manufacturer. The company’s founder, Sakichi Toyoda, aimed to make life easier for his mother and others who toiled on manual looms. Now, Toyota aims to make life easier for everyone.
According to Daisuke Toyoda, an executive responsible for the ambitious project, his team is comprised of not real estate developers but visionaries. Its goal is to create a test course for mobility where residents can interact daily with futuristic technologies, including automated vehicles.
What to Expect When Woven City Opens
Construction for Woven City began in 2021, but no one lives there yet. The first 100 residents, called “weavers,” will be Toyota workers and employees from its partner companies when they move in.
Toyota intends to turn Woven City into a place where diverse researchers and startups can get together, discuss ideas, and build a better future.
It would be a mistake to assume that every weaver is an automotive visionary. The city also includes workers from the instant noodle maker Nissin, the AC manufacturer Daikin, and many others.
When the Associated Press toured the city, the coffee maker UCC was seen serving hot drinks out of an autonomous bus parked in a square. Right now, the buildings surrounding it are empty. Soon, they will be full of future-thinking workers.
One thing visitors shouldn’t expect is a significant focus on electric vehicles. However, you won’t find a used Toyota Avalon or Camry driving down Woven City’s streets. Toyota still plans on going green. The difference is that the automaker has been pushing hydrogen-cell technology instead of EVs.
Is Woven City the First of Its Kind?
Other plans for similar futuristic cities remain unfinished or have been canceled entirely. They include “Neom” in Saudi Arabia, Masdar City in Abu Dhabi, a project proposed by Alphabet in Toronto, and another spearheaded by a former Goldman Sachs trader near San Francisco.
Woven City may well be the first project city to open its doors to residents. After all, the automotive giant has the funding to support the construction and opening of the city and plenty of incentive to make it work.