What is Toyota’s Woven City?

Woven City is a smart city developed by Toyota Motor Corporation, located at the base of Mount Fuji. It is a bold experiment built on the 175-acre site of a former Toyota factory in Susono City, Shizuoka Prefecture, aiming to redefine the relationship between people, technology and the environment.

Woven City offers a controlled environment to test autonomous vehicles and AI technologies in real-world conditions. It is also a place to observe how people interact with robotics, AI and automated transport in their daily lives. Woven City is designed as a model for carbon-neutral urban living, powered by hydrogen and renewable energy.

The place has a three-tier road system for fully autonomous vehicles, a shared space for pedestrians, electric scooters and bicycles, and pedestrian-only path. Beneath the surface, a fourth network of underground roads handles automated goods delivery and waste management, keeping the streets above quiet and pedestrian-friendly.

Woven City runs primarily on hydrogen fuel cells, supplemented by rooftop solar panels and geothermal energy. Most structures in Woven City are constructed using sustainable wood and traditional Japanese joinery techniques blended with modern robotic fabrication.

Residences are equipped with in-home robotics to assist with daily tasks, while sensor-based AI monitors residents’ health and manages logistics like grocery deliveries and waste disposal. The city’s 2,000 eventual residents (Toyota employees, retirees, retailers and visiting scientists) will act as “beta testers,” providing real-time feedback to refine every new technology introduced.