The Atlantic

Is it the presence of the federal government? Is it the smart people? And which came first? Derek Thompson dissects D.C., the nation's fastest growing, richest, and best-educated city.

A new park in Chicago aims to turn 140,000 acres of under-used and post industrial land along the Second City's southern rim into the country's largest urban park. Governor Pat Quinn hopes to add private funding to the $17m allotted by the state.

For almost a decade, security features have been added to the perimeters of important public buildings without regard for aesthetics, and now are being 'beautified,' across the nation.

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority is celebrating its 35th anniversary and is finding ways to ascertain exactly what the agency has brought to the region.

They mayor of Troy, Mich. chooses ideology over investment, The Atlantic's says Eric Jaffe.

London requires more topographical knowledge of its taxi drivers than any other city in the world. Now researchers have found that acquiring 'the knowledge' required to gain certification physically changes a human brain.

A new study that explores the geography of twitter networks finds that rather than making place obsolete, their intensity can be predicted by location and proximity, suggesting they enhance location based relationships.

The Mongolian capital of Ulan Bator will begin construction this winter of an artificial glacier to cool the city next summer and provide melt water for drinking and irrigation.

Foster + Partners reveal a utopian transit master plan so massive that it requires us to consider it "on a level that transcends appearance." The design seeks to streamline connections to the rest of the world through subterranean engineering.

Nate Berg introduces us to a branch of astrophysicists hoping to utilize new telescope technology to locate potential alien cities on distant planets.

The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that HBO is working with Oliver Stone on a biopic of New York's famous master planner.

The food truck phenomenon is here to stay and stimulating tangential industries that include truck outfitters, permit expediters, lawyers lobbyists, website designers, and marketing professionals.

Kaid Benfield argues that continues revitalization of inner city neighborhoods is essential to achieving an equitable civil society, sustainable patterns of growth and maintaining a tax base to fund civic improvements.

Mark Byrnes' slideshow introduces the most welcoming welcome signs in North America.

A new exhibition curated by the Cooper-Hewitt in New York illustrates how the design community is trying to reshape itself as more collaborative than 'pedagogic or paternalistic.'

Richard Florida digests Walkscore's Walkability rankings, and discusses some surprising results. Among the top ten are Union City, New Jersey, and Miami, Florida.

The Atlantic examines the factors that create a successfully implemented bike sharing program, based on current plans scheduled to be implemented on New York streets by next summer.

Scott Timburg labels Richard Florida overly optimistic and blames the media for not portraying the 'fading creative class,' because their recession pain has not been sufficiently dramatic.

In his last public appearance, Steve Jobs assumes the role of a land use advocate seeking to double the number of trees, move parking underground, and provide a self sufficient energy source for Apple's new campus in Cupertino.

Mera Rubell, one of America's premier art collectors, explains to Richard Florida why she loves collecting her art in Miami, and which is the best American City for artists.