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FUTURE LIVING DISTRICT LEGACY
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Horticulture & AgTech Innovation Across the Site
From controlled-environment agriculture to pollinator sensors and soil analytics, horticulture IoT makes the district the world’s most advanced A1 horticultural demo environment.
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A Fully Integrated Digital Nervous System
The district operates on a unified real-time digital twin, connecting energy, water, mobility, buildings, and public space into a single intelligent ecosystem.
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Climate and Environment Intelligence Built In
Air, soil, biodiversity, and microclimate sensors create a living environmental dashboard that adapts landscapes, irrigation, and public spaces in real time.
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Water Systems That Predict and Protect
Stormwater, irrigation, and lake systems use predictive IoT to prevent flooding, conserve water, and maintain ecological health—crucial for a climate-resilient Minnesota.
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A Circular, AI-Balanced Energy Microgrid
Solar, geothermal, storage, and green hydrogen assets are monitored through IoT systems that self-balance district energy loads and support V2X mobility integration.
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Seamless Mobility With Zero Friction
Autonomous shuttles, micro-mobility, robotics, and dynamic wayfinding create a connected 15-minute district where movement is clean, safe, and efficient.
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Smart Buildings That Respond to Climate and People
Every building uses IoT to optimize comfort, energy use, ventilation, and structural performance—forming the backbone of a climate-adaptive built environment.
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Secure-by-Design Cyber-Physical Safety
A zero-trust cybersecurity layer, combined with AI-driven hazard detection and robotics, protects residents, visitors, and critical infrastructure from day one.
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Health & Wellbeing as Core Infrastructure
IoT monitors air quality, heat index, mobility equity, and crowd flow, while digital health pods and Medical Alley innovations extend Minnesota’s leadership in connected care.
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A Never-Ending Storytelling Platform
AR/VR beacons, interactive exhibits, digital signage, and content-production IoT turn the district into a permanent World’s Fair campus—continuously generating global visibility.
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One Sentence Wrap-Up
Expo 2031’s Future Living District uses IoT to unify climate, energy, mobility, water, buildings, safety, health, and horticulture into one AI-enabled living ecosystem—creating a replicable model for the cities of tomorrow.
FUTURE LIVING DISRICT LEGACY
Expo 2031’s Future Living District uses IoT to unify climate, energy, mobility, water, buildings, safety, health, and horticulture into one AI-enabled living ecosystem—creating a replicable model for the cities of tomorrow.
WORLD EXPO PRIMER
The United States has a rich World Expo history both as a Host Country
and as a Participating Pavilion showcasing U.S. ingenuity and accomplishments of our people.
Now, as we are hosting the first World Horticultural Exposition in the United States ever.
We are finding that many are curious about the U.S.’s History regarding these engaging global stages bringing together millions from across the globe.
You can download a compilation of information from the two international bodies that govern World, Specialised and Horticultural Expos that U.S. Civic Leaders have convened and funded to bring the world to our country.
And from the U.S. State Departments archives of U.S. Pavilion participations from the last 20 years and other online sources.
UNDERSTANDING U.S. HORTICULTURE
The United States Department of Agriculture, the USDA oversees Horticulture as a subcategory of Agriculture in the U.S.
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The USDA defines Horticulture as that branch of agriculture concerned with growing plants that are used by people for food and medicinal purposes and for aesthetic gratification.
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The USDA defines Horticulture Specializations as follows:
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Plants Commonly Considered Fruits and Tree Nuts
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Plants Commonly Considered Vegetables
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Plants Commonly Considered Herbs and Spices
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Plants Commonly Considered Medicinal Herbs
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Plants Commonly Considered Floriculture and Nursery
(Resource Link: USDA Definitions of Specialty Crops)
U.S. GARDEN CONSUMERS ARE HORTICULTURE CONSUMERS
55% of the 125 million households in American engage in gardening activities.
That translates to almost 69 million households... not people so the number of individual gardeners is likely even larger.*
*according to gardening research by Scotts Miracle-Gro and Wakefield Research
Additionally, food gardening has been at the highest levels of engagement in more than a decade with 35% of U.S. households growing vegetables, fruits, and other food, according to a National Gardening Association Special Report,
UNDERSTANDING U.S. HORTICULTURE
.jpeg)
The United States Department of Agriculture, the USDA oversees Horticulture as a subcategory of Agriculture in the U.S.
​
The USDA defines Horticulture as that branch of agriculture concerned with growing plants that are used by people for food and medicinal purposes and for aesthetic gratification.
​
The USDA defines Horticulture Specializations as follows:
-
Plants Commonly Considered Fruits and Tree Nuts
-
Plants Commonly Considered Vegetables
-
Plants Commonly Considered Herbs and Spices
-
Plants Commonly Considered Medicinal Herbs
-
Plants Commonly Considered Floriculture and Nursery
(Resource Link: USDA Definitions of Specialty Crops)
U.S. GARDEN CONSUMERS ARE HORTICULTURE CONSUMERS
55% of the 125 million households in American engage in gardening activities.
That translates to almost 69 million households... not people so the number of individual gardeners is likely even larger.*
*according to gardening research by Scotts Miracle-Gro and Wakefield Research
Additionally, food gardening has been at the highest levels of engagement in more than a decade with 35% of U.S. households growing vegetables, fruits, and other food, according to a National Gardening Association Special Report,