Toyota continues to ramp up development of Woven City

MANILA: A groundbreaking event (Jichinsai) involving Toyota Motor Corporation and Woven Planet Holdings, Inc., the Toyota Group firm that manages a broad range of mobility development initiatives anchored in software, was held last February 23 at the old vehicle yard near the former Higashi-Fuji Plant site of Toyota Motor East Japan, Inc. (TMEJ).

The said ceremony was done in line with the construction of the Woven City. The attendees of the event were Governor Heita Kawakatsu of the Shizuoka Prefecture, Susono City Mayor Kenji Takamura, TMEJ President Kazuhiro Miyauchi, Toyota President Akio Toyoda, Woven Planet CEO James Juffner, and other representatives of the local community as well as those who are directly involved in the initiative.

President Toyoda expressed, “The Woven City project officially starts today. Taking action as one has decided is never an easy task. I must express my deepest gratitude to all who have provided their whole-hearted support and cooperation to the project through today. The unwavering themes of the Woven City are ‘human-centered,’ ‘a living laboratory’ and ‘ever-evolving.’ Together with the support of our project partners, we will take on the challenge of creating a future where people of diverse backgrounds are able to live happily.”

TMEJ President Miyauchi added, “I am deeply grateful for having had our Higashi-Fuji Plant operate here for 53 years with the support of the local community. The knowledge and expertise we acquired from all of the people who worked at the plant must be carried on into the next chapter. With the conviction that Woven City will stand not on mere empty land but where the history of the Higashi-Fuji Plant lies, I will offer the greatest possible collaboration in the future.”

In preparation for a period when all ecosystems supporting everyday life are linked with data, Toyota made an announcement regarding the construction of Woven City at CES 2020 in Las Vegas, USA last January. 

The goal of Woven City involves the continuous development of innovations that will assist society through improvement of services and advancement of the technology cycle. Woven City is regarded as an initiative that will exhibit a human-focused strategy towards community development.

Another goal of the Woven City infrastructure is to create an atmosphere in which inventions that have the strong capacity to resolve social challenges are developed in a timely manner.

Woven City will be comprised of three types of streets that are interconnected — one allotted for pedestrians with personal vehicles, one for cyclists, and one designated for autonomous driving.

An underground road for transporting goods will also be constructed. The community will have approximately 360 residents, mostly inventors, families with young children, and senior citizens. Eventually, it is projected to have a population of over 2,000 individuals, which include employees of the auto brand.

As Toyota transitions from being an automaker to a mobility company, the initiative will bring modern technology to life in a real-world context across a plethora of areas like artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, personal mobility, and automated driving. It is projected to create a range of opportunities for researchers and companies worldwide.

Photos from Toyota

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