World’s first ‘city of the future’ welcomes first residents who’ll live there rent-free… but there’s a catch

The world’s first ‘city of the future’ is almost ready to welcome its first residents.

Developed by carmaker Toyota, ‘Woven City’ is located at the foot of Mount Fuji in Japan and features at least eleven ‘smart’ homes powered by hydrogen, AI and other technologies.

CEO Akio Toyoda said the $10 billion utopia would serve as a “laboratory” for innovators to develop the technologies of tomorrow.

The city is poised to welcome its first 100 residents, employees, this fall, who will live there for free – although they must already be Toyota employees and working on developing experimental technology for the company.

The program will then expand to 2,200 additional people, including innovators and their families, parents and pets.

Unveiling the development at the 2025 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada, Toyota revealed some of the technologies it will be working on in the city.

These include ‘drones that guide you home safely at night’, interactive pet robots to help the elderly and robots to assist with everyday tasks.

“Autonomous driving will be one of the many technologies we plan to develop at Woven City,” Toyoda said at CES.

A flying, self-driving robotaxi developed by Joby (pictured) will be used to transport people around the futuristic city

“Among other things, we hope to use AI to extend Woven City’s reach… allowing people to interact virtually with the city and its projects.”

In the pipeline is a flying, self-driving robotaxi made with Joby, which has completed more than 300 fully automated flights.

The company is also working on a racing car that can drift autonomously.

He said they also planned to move residents’ families, pets and associates into the city.

“Woven City is more than just a place to live, work and play,” Toyoda said at CES.

“It is a living laboratory where residents are willing participants, giving inventors the opportunity to freely test their ideas in a safe, realistic environment.”

‘Woven City is a place where people can think of and develop all kinds of new products and ideas.’

The city is now about to enter Phase 2 of construction, which will see the addition of even more buildings to prepare the city to welcome new residents.

‘Woven City’ is located at the foot of Mount Fuji in Japan

The city is poised to welcome its first 100 residents this fall before expanding to 2,200 people, including innovators and their families, parents and pets. The streets will be full of self-driving taxis

The photo shows what the smart homes will look like in this futuristic city

The city’s name, Woven City, refers to Toyota’s start as a loom manufacturing company and is being built on a former Toyota factory outside Susono City, where 50,000 people live.

And the first inhabitants will be called ‘Weavers’.

The CEO told the gathered crowd, “Do I expect Woven City to make money? Maybe not.’

But he added that it could also be an incubator for the technologies of the future that could end up in every home.

Toyota revealed the progress in a press release: ‘Woven City is a mobility testing course where ‘inventors’… can develop, test and validate innovative products and services.

“Leveraging Toyota’s decades of manufacturing expertise… Woven City provides a unique environment equipped with the tools and services needed to address societal challenges and create future-oriented value.”

Toyota first revealed it planned to build the city at CES 2021, as the company shifts from an automaker to a “mobility company.”