The Syracuse Flag Initiative is currently accepting submissions for a new design for the flag of the City of Syracuse through Friday, February 17, 2023.
Many cities in the United States have recently undertaken efforts to redesign their flags, spurred to action by reactions to a 2015 Ted Talk by radio and podcast producer Roman Mars, which highlighted the poor design quality of many U.S. flags, while also showcasing examples of cities that employ good flag design principles and whose flags are a source of civic pride.
This Research Guide is a companion to an exhibit Bird Library will hold in February 2023 to showcase examples of good flag design among U.S. city flags (as well as some world city flags), both as an interesting topic in its own right, and as inspiration to those who are considering submitting a design for the new flag of the City of Syracuse.
Adapt CNY is organizing a flag re-design initiative to propose a new flag to the City of Syracuse. Our current flag is the City seal on a banner. The City seal is meant to be viewed on paper, up close, and flat. A flag is meant to be seen at a distance, waving or hanging in the wind. We also think the flag and the seal should be separate. The seal represents the government of the City of Syracuse. The goal is to have a flag that represents the people.
The Syracuse Flag Initiative is accepting submissions for new flag designs through February 17, 2023. A committee of Syracuse volunteers has been working to develop the flag submission process and will ultimately review and, with public input, decide on the final flag design.
The current flag, designed (by a contest!) in 1915, places the City seal on a background of blue and white. While the seal incorporates important parts of our City’s history, like the Erie Canal, the railroads, and salt sheds - good flag designs tend to be more subtle.
Instead of overt imagery, a new, redesigned flag can incorporate symbols and colors which show where Syracuse has been, where it is, and where it will be. Check out the Syracuse Flag Initiative Instagram for some inspiration!
The hope is for a future where the Syracuse flag is a beacon of pride for the City. We want to see the new flag displayed not only on poles but on t-shirts, coffee mugs, murals, and more.
The North American Vexillological Association (NAVA), an organization devoted to the scholarly study of flags, published a pamphlet in 2006 (updated in 2020) entitled Good Flag, Bad Flag: How to Design a Great Flag, which lays out five principles of good flag design.