The Metro: Detroit City Council approves new district maps

The Detroit City Council voted 8-1 this week to approve new district maps 

As part of the city charter, new maps are required to be created every 10 years based on new census data, which shows that Detroit population changed from 100,000 to 91,000 between 2010 and 2020.

The city council on Tuesday picked from six maps created by Detroit’s Planning Commission. This is the first time the city has redrawn districts since changing the city council structure from at-large members to council districts in 2009. Now the council is made up of seven district representatives and two at-large members. 

Bridge Detroit’s Malachi Barrett joined WDET’s Nick Austin on The Metro to discuss the redistricting process and what it means for Detroiters. He says the goal was to keep the districts relatively the same.

“The map that they ultimately chose was drawn to keep the districts as they are now, as close as possible to as they are now, to kind of give folks some continuity and not really shake up the neighborhoods that much, although there are some fairly significant changes that people came and advocated at council for,” Malachi said.

Districts changing the most by the new maps are districts four, three, two and seven, Barrett said. The next round of municipal elections is in November 2025. The new district maps take effect in 2026. 

More headlines from The Metro: 

• WDET’s Nargis Rahman spoke with Tia Graham on the need for Muslim foster care parents and the Muslim Foster Care Association, an organization working to improve the lives of Muslim foster children through support networks and education. 
• It’s been a busy month at The Carr Center, a Detroit organization centered on Black arts and culture. Center President Oliver Ragsdale Jr. joined The Metro to discuss a dance master class with Debbie Allen this week, and partnering with Bedrock to bring Black History Month programs downtown. 
• Join WDET News Director Jerome Vaughn for the “Smart Politics” event at Hopcat on Monday, Feb.19. This live event will feature a conversation with Detroit News Reporter Craig Mauger, Detroit Free Press Reporter Clara Hendrickson, and Michigan Public Radio Network Reporter Colin Jackson to discuss Michigan’s impact on the upcoming 2024 election. 
• Today I Learned: Stroh’s closed its Detroit Factory on this day in 1985.

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