Every ten years, following the national Census, city council, state legislature and congressional district boundaries must be redrawn to reflect the nation’s growing and shifting population. Much of the work of redistricting takes place behind closed doors. Legislators and political consultants decide which streets or neighborhoods are in or out, specialists make the maps, and the public has little opportunity to weigh in. An increasing number of organizations and groups are committed to changing this practice by making it more transparent. Azavea is an avid proponent of making redistricting practices fairer. We assisted a group of volunteers, led by Dr. Frederic Murphy, Department of Management Science, by creating district maps and sharing our expertise on how GIS can be used to fight gerrymandering.

Other Azavea redistricting projects and research: