Three proposals to remap the Wards of the City of Chicago are expected to be deliberated at a public hearing tonight in the DePaul neighborhood. The meeting is expected to be energetic as the Lincoln Park community has reacted poorly to a leading proposal.
That proposal, the Map For A Better Chicago, is supported by the sponsorship of 33 aldermen, including all but one member of the Black Caucus and powerful white aldermen Ed Burke, Patrick O’Connor and Richard Mell.
Ald. Michele Smith has attacked that map charging it divides communities.
“Under this new map, Lincoln Park is divided up into FIVE wards: the 43rd, 44th, 32nd, 27th, and a brand new ward, the 2nd. This map puts Wrightwood Neighbors, Park West, and Ranch Triangle into two wards that are completely out of the 43rd Ward, and divides Sheffield Neighbors into three ward and Lincoln Central into four wards.”
Smith’s argument about community may seem intuitive. When we identify with a ward, it becomes a shorthand for describing our neighborhood.
Plus, moving new wards into areas, such as that proposed for Roscoe Village, leaves those neighborhoods without effective representation until the next election, slated for 2015.
The Bulldog has written multiple articles on remapping this year. On May 14 The Bulldog published one of its few editorials laying out in detail what it believes are important principles in this process.
However, legal challenges to the maps are more likely to discuss race than ideas of compact neighborhoods and the fine lines that allow a person to walk a few blocks, crossing through multiple wards.
Below, The Bulldog lays out the current map and the three competing proposals in interactive Google maps. We’ve also attached tables to allow you to cross reference the key demographic details, i.e., the racial make-up of the proposals. Finally we’ve attached a definition of our terms.
The Current Map
View Current Chicago Ward Map in a larger map
The Map For a Better Chicago
View Map for a Better Chicago in a larger map
The Taxpayer Protection Map
View Taxpayer Protection Map in a larger map
Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund *MALDEF Map
View MALDEF Chicago Equity Map in a larger map
Definitions
| Target Population: | 53,912 | |||
| Black and Asian Majority Wards: | > 50% VAP | |||
| Hispanic Majority Wards: | > 65% VAP | |||
| Minority Influence Ward: | >20 % <50 % VAP | |||
| Minority Coalition Wards: | Combined >20 % < 50% VAP | |||
Summary Table
Read the MALDEF Redistricting Manual
Read the University of California, Berkeley Law School Redistricting Paper on Influence Districts
Go to the City of Chicago Redistricting web site
See the announcement of the City Council Rules Committee announcements of public hearings- Jan. 11 at 6P 2250 N Sheffield
See the announcement of the City Council Rules Committee announcement of public hearings- Jan. 12 at 6P 3658 S Wentworth
