Redistrict: Designing a Self-Serve Interactive Boundary Optimization System

The assignment of parcels of land affects many communal activities, from voting to public school assignments. This process creates unease and often has a strong impact on communities. We propose Redistrict, an interactive web-based system designed to support redistricting deliberations for public school zoning. Redistrict helps community members explore and experiment with the possible consequences of various zoning scenarios. This point-and-click digital discovery activity allows the user to understand long-term implications of proposed zonings and to provide feedback in an easy, intuitive way. By providing the opportunity for more people, individually or collectively, to look at the problem from different points of view, Redistrict promotes transparency, shared understanding, and cooperation. We designed Restrict to serve as a common information space to help cultivate trust and enable communities to grow stronger, smarter, and more resilient.