Toyota Motor has completed the first phase construction of a futuristic city southwest of Tokyo that will weave new technologies into urban living. It unveiled the development on Saturday on a site that will eventually cover 175 acres or more than 700,000 square meters.
The Japanese automaker started work in 2021 on what it calls "Woven City" in Susono City, Shizuoka Prefecture.
Toyota says the urban area will showcase different aspects of mobility for residents. It will have separate roads for autonomous vehicles and other forms of transport, as well as pedestrian areas.
Toyota says it will run safety tests among the different transport modes.
The city will have an underground passageway for deliveries and garbage collection. It will test advanced digital technologies and autonomous robots.
The automaker says that about 360 people, including Toyota officials and their families, will start moving in in the second half of this year. The city will eventually be home to about 2,000 people.