New York City Districting Commissions Releases 51 New City Council Maps For Public Review

The New York City Districting Commission today voted on a preliminary plan for new City Council districts.

The Preliminary Plan is comprised of newly drawn maps of each of the city’s 51 Council districts.

Among the highlights of the new preliminary plan is an Asian opportunity district in South Brooklyn. It will cover parts of Sunset Park, Dyker Heights, and Bensonhurst.

The Asian Voting Age Population in this district is approximately 57 percent.

A new plan is drawn every ten years following the U.S. Census.

The Commission followed all requirements included in federal, state, and city law.

The city’s population grew 8.2 million in 2010 to 8.8 million in 2020, according to the Census.

To reflect this increase and bring the city in line with federal, state, and local laws the new plan raises the average number of residents per district from 160,710 to 172,882.

The independent Districting Commission voted on the new preliminary plan on Friday after receiving public testimony from nearly 500 city residents at public hearings held from May through July from Harlem to Hollis, Queens.

Testimony was heard in person and received via Zoom and email.

The maps are available for public review online at nyc.gov/districting and a physical copy will be displayed at the Surrogate’s Court at 31 Chambers Street in New York City.

Next, the Commission will hold another five hearings in each of the boroughs to get public testimony on these new maps.

The hearings are scheduled for August 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, and 22nd, 2022.

Testimony also may be provided via Zoom during the public hearings, by email at publictestimony@redistricting.nyc.gov, and by mail at 235 Broadway, NY, NY 10007.