I really wish all districts were quadrilateral.
Start in the western part of each state and start moving a line east. When it has enclosed sufficient people, call it a district. If you need to fine tune, draw an additional line in the northern part of the state and start moving it south in order to subdivide a quadrilateral into an appropriate number of voters. No nudging. No nuances. It should be mathematical and not *ahem* “fancy”.
Gerrymandering is cheating and it always has been.
My formula:
Equal numbers of people included in districts composed of the smallest possible perimeters. This is a completely mathematical solution and likely to produce districts consisting of voters of similar cultural backgrounds and concerns.
In general they need to follow census blocks, which in general are not quadrilateral.
You are on to something though.