CONNECTL.A. Flag Redesign
Los Angeles is a great city, and every great city deserves a great flag. Our current flag is neither good nor effective and, consequently, has all but faded into obscurity; people don’t know it, and because they don’t know it, they don’t fly it. A well-designed flag, however, will serve as an emblem of unity and pride; it will bring together millions of otherwise disconnected Angelenos by restoring a sense of civic pride and strengthening LA’s ‘brand’ identity throughout the world at large.
In what areas of Los Angeles will you be directly working?
City of Los Angeles
How do you plan to use these resources to make change?
Conduct research
Engage residents and stakeholders
Implement a pilot or new project
Mobilize for systems change
How will your proposal improve the following CONNECT metrics?
Rates of volunteerism
Attendance at cultural events
Participation in neighborhood councils
Percentage of Angelenos that volunteer informally (Dream Metric)
Government responsiveness to residents’ needs (Dream Metric)
Total number of local social media friends and connections (Dream Metric)
Attendance at public/open streets gatherings (Dream Metric)
Describe in greater detail how you will make LA the best place to CONNECT.
Los Angeles is currently undergoing an incredible transformation: Development is booming, neighborhoods are thriving, and the very heart of our city is growing and adapting to meet the needs of an ever-changing 21st century. We are in the midst of a stunning revival and, as such, are the frontrunner to host the Olympic games in 2024. We are on the cusp of something big and all eyes are upon us.
Yet many people – residents and outsiders alike – still consider us to be a fragmented, disconnected city with no heart. But while Los Angeles may not have one central destination, there are scores of individual neighborhoods and enclaves teeming with art, culture, history, and beauty, from Sylmar to San Pedro, Ventura Blvd. to Venice Beach. These urban gems might be separated by miles of broken road and crowded freeways, but they are all part of what makes Los Angeles a complex, unique, and truly unparalleled city.
Our goal, then, is to connect these individual, segregated pockets with a powerful, unifying flag – a simple and distinct emblem that bonds the east siders and the west siders, the rich and the poor, the old and the young; a symbol that belongs to every Angeleno, regardless of neighborhood, race, background, or socio-economic status.
A new flag – one that we can all rally behind – will serve as a symbol for all of Los Angeles, promoting and representing the city itself, while uniting millions of Angelenos around the world. As we continue to lead the way through the 21st century, a new flag will help show the world that, despite our expansiveness and our often-frustrating idiosyncrasies, we are not a disjointed suburban metropolis, but rather an awesome, nuanced, and self-respecting city.
We are focused on connecting Angelenos, raising awareness, and gathering broad support to convince city officials to approve our proposal. Once the initiative is passed, we plan to launch a citywide design competition in search of a new flag – a contest that will undoubtedly connect Angelenos, not only with each other, but with the city as a whole, investing them in the future of Los Angeles by empowering them to participate in the rebranding of their city.
Please explain how you will evaluate your work.
We can simply and easily track our progress and support through the metrics built into our website and our community Facebook page. We will be able to further evaluate our progress based on support we garner through change.org.
Our mission is to constantly engage the public, gaining support and attempting to connect with everyone everywhere. Therefore, the effectiveness of this project will be evaluated partially by our ability to target as many neighborhoods, communities, organizations, festivals, etc. as possible. The wider the broadcast, the stronger the message.
The overall success of this project hinges solely on getting the initiative passed – until that happens we can’t officially call for design submissions or adopt a new flag. Therefore, we will constantly be evaluating our work in regards to how many people we’ve reached. Our work will not be done until the city approves our proposal and every single Angeleno is united under a great new flag.
How can the LA2050 community and other stakeholders help your proposal succeed
Money (financial capital)
Volunteers/staff (human capital)
Publicity/awareness (social capital)
Community outreach
Network/relationship support