You may not know that the city of Binghamton actually has a flag. Here it is. Its existence is so little-known, that a Google Search is unable to come up with an official image of it.

Why is this a problem for our city?

Roman Mars, in his TED Talk “Why City Flags May Be the Worst-Designed Things You’ve Never Noticed”, said that “A great city flag is something that represents its city to its people, and its people to the world at large.”

Binghamton is a unique city, with a rich history, valuable industries, and - most importantly - is filled with great, hard-working, diverse people. Our current flag is a lazy design that fails to communicate this. As a result, to the outsider, we appear to be just another city in the Southern Tier past its prime - a city not worth investing in, working in, or visiting. 

Us residents know for a fact that this is not the case. But how could changing Binghamton's flag make a noticeable difference?

A new flag (and the resulting publicity) would put Binghamton on the map again. A new change to the face of Binghamton would encourage more outside investment, leading to growth in business, jobs, and population. The resulting additional income would, in turn, provide funds for more important things, such as education, welfare, and infrastructure maintenance - all for almost no original investment by the city.

Replacing the current flag with a new one would also breathe new life and color into our city. Flags are symbols of unity – something that people can rally behind to show their love of their city and its people (especially now, during the current COVID-19 pandemic). Binghamton should have a flag that people should be proud to fly from their porches, like they do in Chicago​, Portland​, Washington DC, and Denver. 

That being said, what would a new Binghamton flag look like?

The North American Vexillological Association (Vexillological means the study of flags) put out five principles of good flag design:

1. Keep it simple. The flag should be so simple that a child could draw it from memory.
2. Use meaningful symbolism. The flag’s images, colors, or patterns should relate to what it symbolizes.
3. Use 2-3 basic colors. Limit the number of colors on the flag to three,
   which contrast well and come from the standard color set.
4. No lettering or seals. Never use writing of any kind or an organization’s seal.
5. Be distinctive or be related. Avoid duplicating other flags, but use similarities to show connections.

Upon closer inspection, the current Binghamton flag breaks all of these rules.

A potential replacement design has been created to show what could be - just to get the conversation going. It serves as an example that satisfies all the elements of good flag design, all while having examples of significant symbolism that are needed to make a truly "Binghamton" flag.

If this petition gains momentum, other designs, made by other Binghamton residents, could be submitted for selection. Perhaps even a contest could be held selecting the best of all submissions to become the new Binghamton standard.

A new flag for Binghamton could mark a new chapter – a brighter chapter- in the city’s history. With your help, we can show that this is a truly positive change we want for our city.

Join us in urging the mayor and city council to change our city flag.