“…there is a broader layer of top-down municipal efforts that serve to create a specific civic identity. If you ask us, the best place to start is a good flag.”
– 99% Invisible City
Like many others, I was introduced to the world of vexilology by Roman Mars and 99% Invisible. Recently, I was reading the 99% Invisible City and came across this quote and it re-sparked my interest. Which leads me to the point of this post: Spartanburg deserves a flag.
I love my city and have been so excited about all the cool things we’re doing. As we continue to grow, I believe we need something to help unify our identity. Especially in our deeply divided world. That’s why I think our city should come together and adopt an official flag.
Process#
Our flag should be by the people, for the people. We should do something similar to what Columbia, SC did for their flag.
- Collect designs from the public.
- Consult with NAVA to narrow down submissions.
- Get public input.
- Have city council vote!
Then, we get to adopt a flag and you can bet I’ll be buying one immediately! To action on this, I’m going to contact my city councilperson requesting that they adopt a resolution to open a design competition for our city flag. If you’re in Spartanburg and like this idea, I encourage you to do the same.
If you don’t live in Spartanburg you should see if your city has a flag or if it could use an update. I encourage you to see if your city would adopt a similar resolution!
My Designs#
Obviously I have some of my own designs I’d like to submit for consideration. After reading Good Flag, Bad Flag by Ted Kaye, I took a few stabs at it.
I used p5.js to design these. You can check out the code here.
Colors#
I chose blue, gold, and white for my designs. The navy blue and white come straight from the SC state flag. The lighter blue and gold come from the Spartan Regiment flag.1
Symbols#
I was trying to evoke ideas of “Hub City” and “Sparkle City” which is why you see so many hub and spoke and star designs. Additionally, I liked the convergence of colors to lean into the hub idea.
You’ll also notice I use 7 pointed stars and 7 stripes. This is to reference the 7 major railway lines that inspired the “Hub City” nickname.
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The Hub City Spartanburgers are similarly honoring the Spartan Regiment flag with an alternate identity. Relatedly, seeing their flag all over Hampton Heights and Converse Heights is part of what made me realize there’s a demand for a sense of shared symbolic identity. ↩︎