Which city is considered the best example of the American Speculator's town, known for its rigid grid-iron plan?

Philadelphia is often identified as the quintessential example of the American Speculator's town, particularly due to its deliberate and rigid grid-iron plan designed by city founder William Penn in the early 18th century. This urban design featured a systematic series of streets and squares, which facilitated not only navigation but also the orderly development of the city as it expanded. The grid layout aimed to efficiently use land and promote commerce, which was central to the speculator's mindset during that period.

The gridiron plan allowed for uniformity and predictability in property value, appealing to investors and developers who sought to maximize land use. The result was a logical urban structure that influenced future American city planning.

In contrast, while cities like Savannah, Washington, DC, and Detroit have their own unique planning characteristics, they do not exemplify the speculator's approach to urban development in quite the same way as Philadelphia. Savannah features a more organic layout focused around squares rather than strict gridlines, Washington, DC's planning was highly influenced by historical and monumental principles rather than purely commercial speculation, and Detroit's evolution has been shaped by industrial needs rather than a uniform speculative grid.