"Oakland's hills are but a few miles from the flatlands of West Oakland, but the landscaped front yards up the hill and the unforgiving streets of the flatlands are culturally a world away from each other." ~ Chip Johnson, S.F. Gate.com
"For whatever reason they were drawn in the first place, Oakland’s Council districts have evolved to represent a certain theory of government: that to a greater or lesser degree, each district represents a cross-section of Oakland’s diverse socio-economic population. ...
But what if you wanted to elect a different type of Councilmembers—those who represent neighborhoods that have a stronger common socio-economic interest—say an upper income district only, or a middle income district only, or a working class/lower income district only. Would it be possible to redraw the district lines to reflect that type of representation?
Yes, it’s possible, and easily done. ...
Instead of fiddling with maps and neighborhood lines in the beginning, we should first have a discussion of whether we want socio-economically diverse Council districts (as we have now), or if we want those districts to be divided in such a way that the citizens within them have more similar socio-economic interests. It’s an important discussion, and would decide the future way government operates in the city."Read the rest of J. Douglas Allen-Taylor's article here.
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Median Household Income in Oakland by Census Tract
Here's how districts might look if reconfigured more along socioeconomic lines. (Click on maps to enlarge).
Median Household Income in Oakland by Census Tract
Here's how districts might look if reconfigured more along socioeconomic lines. (Click on maps to enlarge).
