Selection as a Winner of the Toyota Mobility Foundation’s ‘Sustainable Cities Challenge’
The ‘Sustainable Cities Challenge’ is a global challenge with total funding of $9m. It connects innovators who possess innovative and sustainable mobility solutions with cities to enable the provision of solutions tailored to the challenges those cities face. The aim is to expand access to jobs, education, and other services and improve people’s quality of life.
During the application period, more than 200 applications were received from 150 cities in 46 countries around the world. The three cities of Detroit (US), Varanasi (India), and Venice (Italy) were selected as the target cities. Of these three cities selected, Varanasi is the only one located in Asia, and also the only one in the Global South. This demonstrates the city’s importance globally, and also the complex issues related to transportation and the flow of people that are unique to historic cities.
Project overview
The ID&E Group companies Nippon Koei Business Partners Co., Ltd., NIPPON KOEI INDIA PVT. LTD., PT. INDOKOEI INTERNATIONAL, and NIPPON KOEI MOBILITY SDN. BHD. utilised data-driven urban planning methodologies accumulated in Singapore and collaborated with the U.S. company CITYDATA.AI to propose ‘CityFlow.’
The target area of this project is the densely populated area of ‘Kashi,’ which is the historic downtown area of Varanasi. The aim is to realise an area that is safer, more accessible, and easier to navigate for the millions of pilgrims who visit each year, and for the residents and tourists. CityFlow utilises big data, computer vision, and generative AI to analyse and manage crowd movement in real time, helping city authorities identify and respond to congestion hotspots and support proactive crowd management.
A demonstration project was completed in April 2026, and the proposal was selected as one of the winners after it was highly evaluated as a comprehensive solution that also includes personnel development. Going forward, funding and expert support will be provided for the improvement of the solution and its deployment citywide, and we plan to transition to full-scale implementation.
