One problem with this: it makes sense that district lines could be along natural (rivers, lakes, mountains) or political (towns, county) lines. Trusting a simple line algorithm may bisect a town down the middle.
The suggested algorithm would unite cities on both sides of the divide. It would be very difficult for an underfunded candidate to campaign on both sides.
You don't want to leave anything to choice. That's where gerrymandering comes in.