Celebrating urban earth at Yahoo! News

This week my Yahoo ! News column takes a look at Lonely Planet’s new City Book, which ranks the top 200 cities in the world.

As is the case with any ranking list, half the charm in reading the City Book comes not in noting its facts, but in pondering its opinions. Is Vancouver really a better world city than Montreal? Does Desperately Seeking Susan deserve to be on a list of movies that capture the essence of New York — especially when Annie Hall is absent? Do virtually unlivable cities like Pyongyang and Khartoum merit their ranking in the top 200? Can pirated DVDs really be considered one of Bangkok’s strengths? My full commentary on the book can be found here, but here’s a quick look at where my opinions coverge and diverge with Lonely Planet’s book:

Perhaps because it’s not a center of commerce (or perhaps because it’s the focus of so much cross-cultural contention) Jerusalem is often left off lists of classic world cities. I was glad to see that it made the top 20 (19th, actually) in The Cities Book. Jerusalem may be famously revered by three major religions, but you don’t have to be religious to appreciate the beauty and historical resonance of this ancient Levantine city.

These Russian cities (ranked 61st and 57th, respectively) don’t often make it onto the itineraries of Europe travelers, but I consider them to be among the most impressive cities on the continent. Summer is a great time to visit, as Russians out enjoying the warm weather lend both cities’ public squares an infectious energy.

I avoided these two classic world cities early in my travel career, for fear of disappointment. When I finally saw them, I wished I’d visited earlier. Though there can be much to dispute in any ranking system, it’s hard to dispute the attractions and virtues that put these two cities at the top of the list.

Delhi, ranked 60th, is an iconic Indian city — but in my book, it’s a bland burg compared to the Hindu holy town of Varanasi (72nd), which is one of the oldest cities in the world. In Varanasi, the sacred rituals acted out on shores of the Ganges are nearly identical to what visitors saw when India was a contemporary of classical Egypt and Greece thousands of years ago.

I’m sure Mexico City garnered a 29th ranking due to the fact that it’s a quintessential megacity — but for my money, Beijing (63rd) is more dynamic, Seoul (85th) is easier to navigate, and Cairo (32nd) is more hospitable. Of course, I’ve never had to drive through Beijing, Seoul, or Cairo, whereas my 2004 Mexico City driving experience still gives me nightmares.