The idea of the environmentally-friendly ‘Woven City’ was unveiled five years ago, with plans to ‘shape the future of mobility’ and serve as a ‘living laboratory’ for inventors
Inside Toyota’s £8billion ‘city of the future’
Toyota has announced the completion of their “city of the future” – and they are looking for residents.
The dwelling is believed to have cost around $10billion (£8billion) and has been described as a “living laboratory” for inventors, with residents acting as “willing participants” for them to test ideas in a real-life setting. The idea of the environmentally-friendly “Woven City” was unveiled five years ago, with plans to “shape the future of mobility.”
Including “human-centric” designs to promote people’s quality of life, the city spans approximately 12 acres and aims to integrate advanced solutions for transportation, urban living and sustainability. The announcement of its completion was included in the presentation made at CES 2025 earlier this week, by Toyota Chairman, Akio Toyoda.
Phase 1 is planned for launch this autumn, or shortly thereafter, and will include around 100 initial residents – primarily Toyota and Woven by Toyota staff and their families in Japan. The community will gradually expand to include “external inventors and their families” who will be invited to relocate to the new city.
Over time, the population is expected to grow to 360 residents in Phase 1, with future phases accommodating up to 2,000 people. Toyota Chairman, Akio Toyoda, said at the press conference at CES: “Woven City is more than just a place to live, work, and play.
“Woven City is a place where people can invent and develop all kinds of new products and ideas. It’s a living laboratory where the residents are willing participants, giving inventors the opportunity to freely test their ideas in a secure, real-life setting.”
Based in Shizuoka, Japan, Toyota and its partners, including Daikin, NISSIN and UCC Japan, will test innovative technologies across mobility, energy and daily living. In a statement, Toyota added: “Woven City is a test course for mobility where inventors who share a commitment to working for others can develop, test and validate innovative products and services.
“They include Toyota and Toyota Group companies such as WbyT, together with external businesses, start-ups and individual entrepreneurs. By leveraging Toyota’s decades-long manufacturing expertise and WbyT’s software capabilities, Woven City offers a unique environment equipped with the tools and services needed to tackle societal challenges and create future-focused value.
“Through collaboration among inventors and feedback from its residents and visitors, Woven City aims to drive innovation and shape a better tomorrow.”