# Does your city have a flag? What does it look like? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 19, 2019, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-flag-what-does-it-look-like/837318 "2019-07-19T21:08:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2019, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-flag-what-does-it-look-like/837318/61 "2019-07-22T18:35:51Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > We do, and it’s [SHIT](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Cape_Town). What a fucking embarrassment. An example, so far across the seas, of the same thing wrong with a lot of the American city flags: it’s not a flag, it’s a display of a letterhead logo or publicity poster or airline livery tiles, and apparently in this case deliberately so. The prior versions for Cape Town at least were trying in a good direction on the “be distinctive and/or related” principle: The Table Mountain profile as distinct geographic identifier, the multicolors of the national flag as the related link. But instead of building **up** on it they built it _down_. The theme remains in the logo roundel but it has been rendered small and indistinct. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2019, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-flag-what-does-it-look-like/837318/62 "2019-07-22T18:47:05Z")
My hometown, Calgary, has a pretty crappy flag [seen here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Calgary#/media/File:Flag_of_Calgary,_Alberta.svg). It makes me think of the logo of the old WHA [Calgary Cowboys](http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b154/spyboy1/TSG%20Blog/CalgaryCowboyslogo.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2019, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-flag-what-does-it-look-like/837318/63 "2019-07-22T18:57:50Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > I would like the Chicago flag better if the stripes were navy and not pale blue. Personally, I far prefer the pale blue. It’s distinctive, and is more evocative to me of water (which it represents) than navy blue. Otherwise, it’s just another red, white, and navy blue striped flag with stars. There’s a nicer contrast between the red and pale blue, and it feels “friendlier” to me, as well, than navy blue, which feels a bit militaristic. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2019, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-flag-what-does-it-look-like/837318/64 "2019-07-22T19:02:58Z")
[This](https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/us-flfmy.html) may or may not be the official Fort Myers flag. Hard to tell from the way it’s used as a logo. However, my hometown of Rockville, MD has an [awesome flag.](https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/us-md-rv.html) I should mention that one thing I really liked about my new home is that it has a flag mount next to the porch from which I display (most of) my flags on a rotating basis. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2019, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-flag-what-does-it-look-like/837318/65 "2019-07-22T19:03:04Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Very nice flag for Madison. I looked up that survey [and found the results here.](https://nava.org/digital-library/design/surveys/2004-American-City%20Flags-Survey.pdf) Looks like my love for the Chicago flag isn’t just local pride, as it finishes #2 on the survey, just behind Washington DC’s flag. I see that the survey at least seems to have inspired Pocatello, Idaho, (dead last on the survey) to change their flag from [this](http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/idahostatejournal.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/89/a89e5a5b-1e2c-5f71-a338-30b6fa312986/583f9f57efeca.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C795) to [this](https://www.boisestatepublicradio.org/sites/idaho/files/styles/x_large/public/201709/pocatello-flag.jpg). MUCH better. I dig that flag. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2019, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-flag-what-does-it-look-like/837318/66 "2019-07-22T20:18:23Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > The prior versions for Cape Town at least were trying in a good direction on the “be distinctive and/or related” principle: The Table Mountain profile as dis > [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > I kind of like the 2003-2004 Cape Town flag. It’s different, at least, and the colors certainly pop on the white field. Yes, agreed. I would have preferred something more geometric, though, and less colours (blue and white, and red if you must, being the traditional Cape Town colours.) The mountain outline used in the top of the [old municipal logo](https://fotw.info/images/z/za-wc-cmetro.gif) is more my taste than the sqiggly ones of later designs - ignore the rest of the logo ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2019, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-flag-what-does-it-look-like/837318/67 "2019-07-22T20:19:40Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I see that the survey at least seems to have inspired Pocatello, Idaho, (dead last on the survey) to change their flag from > [this](http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/idahostatejournal.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/89/a89e5a5b-1e2c-5f71-a338-30b6fa312986/583f9f57efeca.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C795) > > to > > [this](https://www.boisestatepublicradio.org/sites/idaho/files/styles/x_large/public/201709/pocatello-flag.jpg). > > MUCH better. I dig that flag. I especially love what they’ve done with the star-\>snowline. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2019, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-flag-what-does-it-look-like/837318/68 "2019-07-23T04:44:20Z")
Yes, the newer one for Pocatello is a big improvement. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2019, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-flag-what-does-it-look-like/837318/69 "2019-07-23T06:33:43Z")
The flag of Atlanta was already mentioned\*; and, well, meh–for a city flag with a phoenix on it, [Phoenix, Arizona](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/98/Flag_of_Phoenix%2C_Arizona.svg/640px-Flag_of_Phoenix%2C_Arizona.svg.png) is _much_ better than either [Atlanta](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/17/Flag_of_Atlanta.svg/640px-Flag_of_Atlanta.svg.png) or [San Francisco](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/af/Flag_of_San_Francisco.svg/640px-Flag_of_San_Francisco.svg.png). (I actually think ours is better than San Francisco.) The Phoenix, Arizona, flag has a bit of a Japanese _mon_ vibe to it; alternatively, I can see it as the logo of the Good Guys in some sci-fi space opera epic, as they suit up to fight the Evil Empire. (“Never give up! Never surrender! The Republic/Federation/whatever _will_ be re-born!”) \*And besides, I don’t actually live in the City of Atlanta anyway, just in the Greater Atlanta Metropolitan Blob. Another place I don’t live but that I think has a cool flag and that I don’t think anyone else has mentioned yet is [Pittsburgh](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/82/Flag_of_Pittsburgh%2C_Pennsylvania.svg/800px-Flag_of_Pittsburgh%2C_Pennsylvania.svg.png). > [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > The flag of Louisville has since changed, and not for the better IMHO: [Flag of Louisville, Kentucky - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Louisville%2C_Kentucky) Oh, Louisville, _why_? I mean, apparently it was something to do with merging with the surrounding county, but that’s just too darned bad! And props to Pocatello! They really took the (very, very justified) criticism to heart, and emerged a better, stronger city! Well, OK, a city with a much better municipal flag, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2019, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-flag-what-does-it-look-like/837318/70 "2019-07-23T07:34:37Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > At least the Tel Aviv flag is colorful. But with all the regularity of the other elements, the asymmetry of the stars really stands out. Is that a constellation, like the Southern Cross on the flags of Australia and New Zealand, or Alaska’s Big Dipper? No - the seven-star flag was Theodore Herzl’s suggestion for a Jewish national flag; the seven stars were supposed to represent the seven days of the week, which he considered one of the Jewish people’s greatest contributions to the world. His flag never caught on, with the Zionist Movement adopting what would later be the single-star Israeli flag instead (designed, incidentally, by one Morris Harris, an upholsterer from Harlem). The Israeli shipping company ZIM ended up using a [version](https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%93%D7%92%D7%9C_%D7%A2%D7%91%D7%A8%D7%99#/media/%D7%A7%D7%95%D7%91%D7%A5:Flag_of_Zim.svg)ofthe Herzl flag, with the stars now representing the seven seas. I don’t know why the stars are positioned the way they are, or why they have five points instead of six. Apparently, [the original design](https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%A1%D7%9E%D7%9C_%D7%94%D7%A2%D7%99%D7%A8_%D7%AA%D7%9C_%D7%90%D7%91%D7%99%D7%91-%D7%99%D7%A4%D7%95#/media/%D7%A7%D7%95%D7%91%D7%A5:Old_TA_Symbol.jpg) from 1923 was symmetrical. I have no idea when they changed it, and why. ---
**Author:** ![yendis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ed8c4c/32.png) [@yendis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yendis)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2019, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-flag-what-does-it-look-like/837318/71 "2019-07-23T12:12:17Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Yes, agreed. I would have preferred something more geometric, though, and less colours (blue and white, and red if you must, being the traditional Cape Town colours.) The mountain outline used in the top of the [old municipal logo](https://fotw.info/images/z/za-wc-cmetro.gif) is more my taste than the sqiggly ones of later designs - ignore the rest of the logo You want geometric and with less colour. I give you the flag for [Durban](https://www.flags-and-anthems.com/city/flag-durban.html). It is not a hat, or the teat from a baby’s bottle or even a stylised boob, it’s the dome of City Hall. In a city most famous for its beaches and tropical weather and enormous harbour they honour a landmark you can’t even see from said beaches or harbour. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2019, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-flag-what-does-it-look-like/837318/72 "2019-07-23T13:39:23Z")
> [@yendis](#): > > You want geometric and with less colour. I give you the flag for [Durban](https://www.flags-and-anthems.com/city/flag-durban.html). > > It is not a hat, or the teat from a baby’s bottle or even a stylised boob, it’s the dome of City Hall. In a city most famous for its beaches and tropical weather and enormous harbour they honour a landmark you can’t even see from said beaches or harbour. Well, that example clearly illustrates the difference between necessary, and sufficient conditions 😃 “identifiable” would be necessary too, IMO. Cape Town’s blessed in that regard. [Pretoria](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Pretoria)’s probably the least offensive, but not distinctive. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2019, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-flag-what-does-it-look-like/837318/73 "2019-07-23T13:45:18Z")
[Grahamstown](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Grahamstown_flag.svg) and [Bloem](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_of_Bloemfontein.gif) are nice coats of arms, but not great flags. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2019, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-flag-what-does-it-look-like/837318/74 "2019-07-23T15:21:52Z")
> [@MEBuckner](#): > > …Another place I don’t live but that I think has a cool flag and that I don’t think anyone else has mentioned yet is [Pittsburgh](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/82/Flag_of_Pittsburgh%2C_Pennsylvania.svg/800px-Flag_of_Pittsburgh%2C_Pennsylvania.svg.png)… It doesn’t show up too well there, but there are two black vertical stripes on either side of the Pittsburgh flag. Here’s a real-world image: [https://liber.post-gazette.com/image/2014/06/13/ca0,719,1492,2211/20140612dsflagdayloc02.jpg](https://liber.post-gazette.com/image/2014/06/13/ca0,719,1492,2211/20140612dsflagdayloc02.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Bookkeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bookkeeper/32/281_2.png) [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2019, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-flag-what-does-it-look-like/837318/75 "2019-07-24T18:01:19Z")
Ottawa’s [current flag](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Ottawa) is another “corporate logo” design. Not that the previous flag was anything special, either. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2019, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-flag-what-does-it-look-like/837318/76 "2019-07-24T18:13:26Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > An excellent TED talk on flags: > [Why city flags may be the worst-designed thing you’ve never noticed](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnv5iKB2hl4) I came her to post that because [The Flag of the City of Austin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_of_Austin,_Texas.svg) violates several key points mentioned therein. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2019, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-flag-what-does-it-look-like/837318/77 "2019-07-24T18:54:17Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > There is a Native Hawaiian flag, the [Kanaka Maoli flag](https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/us-hi_hi.html#kanaka). The shield bit is nice, the stripes are positively offensive… I would certainly prefer that, or some variant of it, to the current Hawaii state flag. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2019, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-flag-what-does-it-look-like/837318/78 "2019-07-24T19:46:46Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > An excellent TED talk on flags: > [Why city flags may be the worst-designed thing you’ve never noticed](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnv5iKB2hl4) I expected to this be what inspired the OP. Pretty sure this thread has been done before based on that. I feel like these [basic rules](https://nava.org/good-flag-bad-flag/) should be included in the discussion. > [@](#): > > The five Principles [of good flag design] are: > > [ol] > [li]Keep It Simple. The flag should be so simple that a child can draw it from memory.[/li][li]Use Meaningful Symbolism. The flag’s images, colors, or patterns should relate to what it symbolizes.[/li][li]Use 2 or 3 Basic Colors. Limit the number of colors on the flag to three which contrast well and come from the standard color set.[/li][li]No Lettering or Seals. Never use writing of any kind or an organization’s seal.[/li][li]Be Distinctive or Be Related. Avoid duplicating other flags, but use similarities to show connections.[/li][/ol] Most flags grievously violate #1 and #4 which almost assures you of also violating #3. > [@RobDog](#): > > Those _are_ cool, and I really like the unity of theme it creates. > > Also, I now know what surely must have inspired a thousand [stock company logo designers](https://www.google.com/search?q=company+logo+ideas&client=tablet-android-samsung&prmd=isnv&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwim_KuXkMjjAhVXQkEAHfiNDywQ_AUoAXoECAwQAQ&biw=768&bih=1024). I’m too lazy too look up the origins of those Japanese flags, but I get the sense that they were inspired by Corporate flags/logos and not the other way around. They were almost certainly designed by a single entity which totally removes any real individuality or distinctiveness. They look like the the sub-brands of of a multi-national conglomerate. > [@pulykamell](#): > > Personally, I far prefer the pale blue. It’s distinctive, and is more evocative to me of water (which it represents) than navy blue. Otherwise, it’s just another red, white, and navy blue striped flag with stars. There’s a nicer contrast between the red and pale blue, and it feels “friendlier” to me, as well, than navy blue, which feels a bit militaristic. Agree, I love the Chicago flag. If it were boring navy or indigo or plain old blue it would look like it was just another adapted US or UK flag. The baby blue has become the color of Chicago in the way yellow and black is the color of Pittsburgh and green is the color of Seattle. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2019, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-flag-what-does-it-look-like/837318/79 "2019-07-24T20:35:19Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > Agree, I love the Chicago flag. If it were boring navy or indigo or plain old blue it would look like it was just another adapted US or UK flag. The baby blue has become the color of Chicago in the way yellow and black is the color of Pittsburgh and green is the color of Seattle. I also quite like the Chicago [Municipal Device](https://forgottenchicago.com/articles/the-municipal-device/), a symbol of the city that shows up in logos, on buildings, bridges, etc. It’s basically a Y, often in a circle, symbolizing Wolf Point where the branches of the Chicago River come together. That would have also made for a nice graphic element in our municipal flag if we had decided to go in a different direction (instead of the two light blue bars for the river.) ---
**Author:** ![Doyle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doyle/32/439_2.png) [@Doyle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doyle)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2019, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-city-have-a-flag-what-does-it-look-like/837318/80 "2019-07-24T21:07:55Z")
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