Checking in with Toyota's plans for an interconnected smart "city of the future" means considering how their approach might differ from other attempts at similar projects.

Corporate interest in smart city technology has brought numerous concepts and potential projects into the public spotlight in recent years with a notable lack of success in implementing new technologies in a robust way. Where others (most notably, Sidewalk Labs) have failed, Toyota has big plans to create a new, interconnected smart city, a "city of the future" to stand as a proof of concept for such innovations as autonomous vehicles and smart houses.
"The 175-acre Woven City project, to sit at the base of Mt. Fuji, would house some 2,000 residents and will be outfitted with connected infrastructure, clean buildings and artificial intelligence (AI)," writes Jason Plautz on the ambitious scope of the project. Some onlookers think that Toyota could have more success than other corporations who have spearheaded smart city development, in part due to the lessened regulatory requirement involved in building a city from scratch.
Public concern has put a damper on smart city development projects in the past. Alphabet's Sidewalk Labs planned a development on the waterfront of Toronto that sought to "showcase everything from mass timber buildings to adaptive pavement that would accommodate all forms of mobility," but the "project was dogged with concerns about how the company would store and protect data collected from residents," Plautz reflects.
After Toyota's January announcement of plans for the spawning of the Woven City, very few details about the project have been revealed, says Plautz. Nearly a year later, ears are perked for more information about the viability of the project and its implications for smart city technology in other cities worldwide.
FULL STORY: Can Toyota succeed where Sidewalk Labs failed?

Planning for Congestion Relief
The third and final installment of Planetizen's examination of the role of the planning profession in both perpetuating and solving traffic congestion.

Minneapolis Housing Plan a Success—Not for the Reason You Think
Housing advocates praise the city’s move to eliminate single-family zoning by legalizing triplexes on single-family lots, but that isn’t why housing construction is growing.

New White House Housing Initiative Includes Zoning Reform Incentives
The Biden administration this morning released a new program of actions intended to spur housing construction around the United States.

Proposed Transit Line Would Connect Downtown Tucson to Airport
Based on community input for a 15-mile transit line, residents want to see a focus on affordable housing development and anti-displacement measures.

Strip Malls as a Housing Solution
The American strip mall may be a dying breed of commercial development, but could the buildings serve a new use as sustainable housing?

Study: Most of Vancouver Is a ‘15-Minute City’
A large majority of Vancouver residents can access a grocery store in 15 minutes or less by bicycle or on foot.
Urban Planning Partners
Sandy City
Ada County Highway District
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Redwood City
City of Rohnert Park
City of Hot Springs
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.