The desire to protect the voice of communities is just one among a number of competing concerns that factor into drawing congressional districts. Federal rules require that districts have equal population and that they promote minority representation under certain circumstances as established by the Voting Rights Act. State requirements vary, but may include respecting community interests, as Arizona does; following existing political boundaries or geographic features; making districts as compact as possible; promoting fairness, by not favoring one political group or candidate over another; and fostering competition, which is usually achieved by creating districts that have a relatively equal number of partisans."
The Dawn of Do-It-Yourself Redistricting? Online Software Puts Redistricting Tools in the Hands of the Public
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