Cities: Pride in the Sky

My city's better than your city. In the Middle Ages, they proved it by erecting the biggest cathedral, in the Renaissance, by commissioning the grandest city hall, in the 19th century, by bolting together the most cavernous railroad station. In the 20th century, cities began putting their pride in the sky and, until lately at least, the sky scraper sufficed as the symbol. Now the high-rise office has an even skinnier cousin, the cloud-busting television tower—generally equipped with a slowly rotating restaurant at the top.

For its TV transmissions, Tokyo duplicated the Eiffel Tower, only 40 ft. higher. Other antennas...