I'm especially interested to hear the thoughts of those of you who have an interest in city planning, etc. This particular annual list from Money gripes me to no end.

I was reading my issue of Money this afternoon and read the article that accompanies the full "Top 100 Small Cities in America" list in the ongoing 'Best Places To Live' series. Anybody who has subscribed to Money since they've been doing these detailed lists knows of the controversy that always comes with this particular list. I wanted to offer up my .02 and get your thoughts.

I hate the fact they include suburbs! I'm not out to offend our own suburbs here in the metro. I'm happy for Norman at #6, (Edmond is on the list too), but if I was looking for a "small city" I wouldn't think suburb. I don't think of suburbs as being truly cities 'by themselves' any more. Norman, more than many others on the list, at least has some pasture to drive through from Oklahoma City.

Why don't they truly rank small cities that thrive on their own economy and attributes? Say, just as an example, at least 45 miles from the border of a major metropolitan area.

Just look at some on the list:

Overland Park - Really? A small city of its own? Overland Park and Olathe are both on the list. They're both suburbs and OP is "Kansas City" to a lot of people in the KC metro. I hate a "city" like OP (as nice as it is in places) can truly be called a small city in a list like this

Irvine, CA - Nice place. But, really, Irvine is Los Angeles to me. I wouldn't think of it as a city in and of itself. It is, of course, no question. But it's a suburb!

Carrollton, Tx - Please. It's right in the middle of metro Dallas! Richardson is on the list! McKinney is on the list and a better case can be made there. But still.....where would McKinney be without DFW sprawl? Allen is on the list. Frisco is on the list! Four "small cities" in Collin County alone! The DFW metroplex has 10 of the top 100 "small cities" in the country! They're all suburbs!!! (Unless you want to make the argument for Denton, which is like Norman. You still have some pasture to get there from DFW, but not much and it's less and less all the time.)

It goes on and on like this - Bellevue, Wa is supposedly a "small city," as is Scottsdale, AZ, Sugar Land, TX, you get the idea.

There are a few exceptions - Ames, IA being one. But it's hard to look at that list and find a city that's more than 45 miles out of a major metro area. Well, scratch Ames - I just checked and it's only 34 miles from downtown Des Moines. Fargo, ND is on the list though - and it qualifies.

It's ridiculous though. Money should either do a list of the Top 100 Small Cities (that aren't a part of a major cities metropolitan area) or change the name of the current list to the "Top 100 Best Suburbs" and just get rid of the few exceptions that are not.

Thoughts?