Susono, Shizuoka Pref. –

Toyota unveiled to the media on Saturday the first phase area of its Woven City, a demonstration city being built in central Japan to test advanced mobility technologies.

The demonstration city in Susono, Shizuoka Prefecture, includes roads dedicated to automated mobility on the ground and "logistics streets," or underpasses to conduct experiments on the automation of logistics services.

"From this place, I hope that future mobility will emerge," Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda said at a ceremony to mark the completion of the first phase building of Woven City.

The first phase area covers 47,000 square meters. Eight of the 14 buildings completed last year are residential buildings, surrounded by an exchange center for inventors and residents, an energy building and others.

Currently, construction of hydrogen pipelines and other infrastructure, and interior work are under way.

There are three roads on the ground, including one for pedestrians and another for automated mobility, and traffic lights can be equipped with various sensors to measure the flow of people and other traffic.

The logistics streets, which were constructed by excavating a layer of lava 10 meters underground, are connected to all the buildings, and experiments with automated delivery robots will be conducted.

Woven City will eventually expand to about 700,000 square meters and house some 2,000 people from inside and outside the Toyota group. Some 100 Toyota employees and others are expected to move into the city in autumn this year.

Toyota also plans to test advanced technologies by repeating experiments, including in digital spaces that replicate real cities.

"Woven City is an ever-evolving 'eternally unfinished city' and a 'test course for future mobility,'" Toyoda said. "I promise to continue moving forward toward the future together with those who share the same aspirations."