Updated Information on Woven City Project - Insights from Toyota's First Half/Second Quarter Financial Results Question-and-Answer Session
Toyota Motor Corporation is set to begin the construction of Woven City, a prototype city of the future, in early 2021. The city, envisioned as an ever-evolving urban space, will be built on the site of the Higashi Fuji Plant, which is scheduled to close next month.
The project, which was first announced at CES 2020, will commence in phases, with decisions and discussions being conducted at every step of the process. Akio, the company's CEO, meets with the Woven City project team every three weeks to discuss progress and make decisions.
Akio has announced a specific date for the groundbreaking of Woven City: February 23, 2021. The reasoning behind choosing this date is because it reads "Fuji-san" (Mt. Fuji) in Japanese, symbolising the city's strategic location at the base of the iconic mountain.
The basic unit of Woven City, a 150-meter by 150-meter block, will have three roads at ground level and one underground. The ground-level roads will be dedicated to autonomous vehicles, pedestrians, and shared use by small mobility and pedestrians, respectively. The underground road will be used for the movement of goods.
Toyota has received applications from approximately 3,000 individuals and corporations who want to become partners for the Woven City project. The number of partners involved in the project has not been disclosed. Akio expects around 360 residents in the city, consisting of elderly people, families, and inventors. These inventors will have a set period to work on their missions, and if they fail to produce results, they will be replaced by other inventors.
The progress of the Woven City project has not been publicly announced since its initial announcement. The completion date, opening to the public, and start date for people to begin living in Woven City have not been announced either. However, the planned construction start is in early 2021, with completion expected around 2024. The city is intended to be accessible to the public and inhabited by the first residents shortly after completion.
Akio envisioned the site of the closing Higashi Fuji Plant as an important link to the future and proposed the concept of a "connected city," which led to the creation of Woven City. He stated that the city will be an ever-evolving city and invited everyone to participate in its development.
As the construction of Woven City begins, it marks a significant step towards Toyota's vision of a sustainable and connected future. The city will serve as a testbed for advanced technologies, including autonomous vehicles, robotics, and smart homes, aiming to create a city that is safe, efficient, and environmentally friendly.
