city logos

[cityboi]

city logos are actually important when marketing a city. A logo should tell you everything about the city in a nut shell. Some logos do and some dont.

Here are some city logos

Charlotte, NC

Greensboro, NC

Greenville, SC

Winston-Salem, NC

Knoxville, TN

[cloudship]

I am not a fan of them. They are OK if your city is a real tourist destination and has to do a lot of tourist advertising. But somehow it feels to me that it isolated the government from the peopl ein the city. A city is not a business - it's people. And I think a lot of cities get too caught up with logos and business practices and forget they are really there for their constituents.

[15895]

I LOVE our crown!

Lots of businesses are named "crown" so and so, All the signs adorn the crown, Light Rail Poles adorn a crown, UNC Charlotte has crown (Not the Charlotte crown) variation, and one of our most prominent statues has Queen Charlotte Holding a Crown.

I feel like our Crown is a huge part of our community. Tons of local entrepreneurs use "Crown" in their business (my family used Queen City in our business name which is another common name of businesses: Queen City Tires, Queen City Nutrition, etc. etc.)

Our crown is a big part of Charlotte's identity for us locals.

I agree though, city logos are usually pretty horrid, corny, etc.

But for Charlotte, our crown has the significance in our community as Chicago being called The Windy City or New Yorks "Big Apple" or San Frans Golden Gate Bridge or Seattles Space Needle, St. Louis Arch, etc. is in their community. Our crown just isn't as well known, obviously.

[Neo]

^ I'm digging Greenville's logo! So awesome!

[Charlotteman]

Of course I'm partial. I have always loved Charlotte's crown theme--- even as a child I thought it was so fun.

There are a few other American cities that call themselves "the Queen City", but as far as I'm concerned there is only one.

[cityboi]

Greensboro and Charlotte utilize their logos on some of their street signs

[RegalTDP]

Taking it north a bit, I thought I'd share Grand Rapids:

The City of Grand Rapids' logo was designed by Joseph Kinnebrew, an internationally-recognized sculptor and painter. It incorporates a yellow sun, blue river, and a red representation of the "La Grande Vitesse" sculpture by Alexander Calder, which was erected in downtown Grand Rapids on Calder Plaza in 1969. (City of Grand Rapids)

I can't find the date the design was created, but I remember reading somewhere that it was the early 1980s. Very simple, yet very recognizable. I agree with the general feeling here - simple symbols like these can go a long way in maintaining a local identity.

The symbol is ubiquitous in GR, as you'll see it on every piece of city property - city buildings, parks, parking ramps, service vehicles, and street signs:

(Grand Rapids Press)

You always know when you've crossed into the city limits when you see the street signs.