# Introduction

iRedistrict® is an award-winning redistricting software with powerful optimization algorithms, intuitive user controls, easy editing interface, and customizable reporting. It is sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF) SBIR Awards.&#x20;

As a cost-effective and time-saving solution, iRedistrict® can dramatically save the workload and improve the outcome quality of redistricting projects. iRedistrict® excels in its capability to leverage user inputs (such as communities of interests, existing boundaries, etc.) and powerful computer algorithms, which can generate high-quality redistricting plans that meet both mandatory requirements and user-specified preferences.

![](https://3277503274-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-MID4AC0JLzhOjxVzdcB%2F-MJt5P19w_q__qheyuSK%2F-MJt5XVzshoGqxjRBYD1%2FScreen%20Shot%202020-10-17%20at%208.26.38%20PM.png?alt=media\&token=b838143a-2741-49c1-9b4a-ce0e3ee6205d)

iRedistrict® enhances the redistricting planning process by allowing the user to:

* Flexibly choose and configure redistricting criteria
* Quickly generate multiple high-quality plans that optimize the chosen criteria
* Visually compare, edit, and manage redistricting plans

There are two editions of iRedistrict: the edition that has a site in each district and the edition that doesn't have a site in the district.

**iRedistrict for Site** is usually used for scenarios such as school redistricting, agency service area redistricting etc.&#x20;

**iRedistrict without Site** is usually used for scenarios such as political redistricting, police patrol beats redistricting, service area delineation, etc.

iRedistrict® supports the following criteria:

* Population Equality (or equal population per site capacity for iRedistrict for Site)
* Enforce Contiguity
* Shape Compactness
* Preserve COI
* Preserve Majority-Minority Zone
* Respect Existing Boundaries (e.g. prior districts, administrative boundaries, etc.)
* Partisan Fairness (iRedistrict without Site only)
* Shortest Distance (iRedistrict for Site only)



iRedistrict® also supports the features below:

* Export plans into ESRI Shapefile (.shp) and CSV file
* Generate Configurable Reports
* Save the redistricting project workspace.

iRedistrict® can be used for different redistricting projects such as political redistricting, school redistricting, fire department redistricting, police patrol delineation, traffic analysis zone (TAZ) delineation, service area delineation ( field work, sales, etc.), market planning, and more.

## Important Information

iRedistrict Desktop cannot convert data projection. If multiple datasets are loaded into the software, please make sure they are in the same projection. Otherwise, the data may not be shown.&#x20;

You can use [QGIS](https://qgis.org/en/site/) to convert the data projection. QGIS is a free software and open source cross platform GIS desktop software.

You can also use [ZillionInfo Online](http://www.zillioninfo.com/) to convert the data projection. When data is uploaded to ZillionInfo Online, the data is converted to WGS84. If you download the data directly from the data list, the data projection is WGS84. You can use the toolbox to convert the data to other projections.
