Background

Since the 1950's, the City of St. Louis has experienced significant population decline, losing over half of its population. Despite this population loss, St. Louis is still governed by 28 aldermen and alderwomen who represent 28 wards. The following web map shows St. Louis's current ward boundaries:

In 2012, voters in the City of St. Louis passed Proposition R, a measure to reduce the number of wards (and consequently aldermen and alderwomen) from 28 to 14. This measure is now known as St. Louis City Ordinance #69185. This ordinance stipulates that beginning January 1, 2022, the city will be divided into 14 wards and such ward boundaries will be based on the 2020 Census. In addition, the ordinance states that the ward boundaries "shall comprise as nearly as practicable, compact and contiguous territory within straight lines, and contain as nearly as may be the same number of inhabitants".

Aldermen and alderwomen play an extremely important role in St. Louis politics. The Board of Aldermen is responsible for passing legislation, monitoring city agencies, making decisions on land use as well as various other functions. They influence numerous decisions in their ward, ranging from zoning changes to business licensing. Given the importance of aldermen and alderwomen in St. Louis, it is crucial that the wards are redrawn in a way that is fair and representative of St. Louis and its people. The next section, Redistricting Criteria, lists various criteria used when considering new ward boundaries to ensure they are fair.