How do we solve the problem of gerrymandering?
There is a pretty straightforward solution. Require a "minimum boundaries" standard -- either based on counties or state legislative districts.
Currently, district boundaries are drawn using the smallest unit of population -- the census tract -- which creates the distortion that people living across the street from one another (and with presumably common interests) lie in different districts. Using a larger unit of population would eliminate this distortion.
The "minimum boundary" standard -- which could be produced automatically by a properly-programmed computer -- would ensure that each district was a compact, cohesive geographical area -- and would ignore voting patterns altogether.
Of course, this process would immediately run afoul of the court's requirements for district boundaries which favor minorities. Paradoxically, it is the court's requirement that has created the practice of "packing" -- drawing district lines so as to achieve districts that are, say, 90% black, then drawing other districts that offer a 55/45 Dem/Rep split (or vice versa) so as to maximize the seats for one party or the other.
"Packing" is a demonstrably bad idea, however, even for the minorities it was designed to "protect". It ends up producing the kind of Congressmen like the Congressional Black Caucus -- elected-for-life, deeply corrupt and solely concerned with enriching themselves while scattering crumbs for South LA, with virtually no concern for the country-at-large. "Packing" is one reason why "racism" still lives.
In other words, eliminating the "gerrymander" would require the courts to go along.