Planning for Redby's Future; Improving the Highway 1 Corridor and Developing a Land Use Inventory

Abstract

The Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians (RLBCI or Red Lake Nation) is engaged in ongoing efforts to increase livability, with a focus in the downtown area of the community of Redby. RLBCI has collaborated with the University of Minnesota Humphrey School of Public Affairs on transportation-related projects since 2016 and asked for assistance from a team of students at the Humphrey School to further address pedestrian safety needs in the Highway 1 corridor and create a land use inventory of Redby. The Red Lake Nation is also working with MnDOT on planning upcoming Highway 1 roadway improvements. The goal of the project was to provide background data, evidence, maps, and designs to guide tribal decisions about future infrastructure projects, and support future grant proposals and community visioning work. The project coalesced around two research topics: the first focused on community preferences for improving pedestrian safety and livability in the downtown corridor of Redby, and the second on existing land use in the community. As such, the report consists of two parts that correspond to those research topics. Part I provides key context on current conditions in Downtown Redby and then explains the development, implementation, and results of a community preferences survey. Part II provides context on the history of land use inventories in Redby, details the methodology behind developing an existing land use inventory of Redby, and includes the results of that inventory – a series of maps generated with GIS mapping software.