An urban village is an urban planning and urban design concept. It refers to an urban form typically characterized by:

Urban villages are seen to provide an alternative to recent patterns of urban development in many cities, especially decentralization and urban sprawl. They are generally purported to:

The concept of urban villages was formally born in Britain in the late 1980s with the establishment of the Urban Villages Group (UVG). Following pressure from the UVG, the concept was prioritized in British national planning policy between 1997 and 1999.

Urban village ideals have been applied to new greenfield developments, as well as brownfield developments and urban renewal projects. The concept has been widely adopted in many countries and used by both Government development agencies as well as private enterprise as a guiding concept for many projects.

The ideas of the urban commentator Jane Jacobs are widely regarded as having had the largest influence on the urban village concept. Jacobs rejected the modernist views that dominated urban planning and architecture in the 1950s-60s and constructed an alternative philosophy that values traditional neighborhoods and the role of the inner city. Proponents believe that urban villages provide a viable alternative to the social ills that characterize modernism in cities, such as freeways and high-rise estates.

Kevin McCloud (born 8 May 1958) is a British designer, writer and television presenter best known for his work on the Channel 4 series Grand Designs.

He lives in a 15th-century farmhouse in Frome, Somerset, with his wife (childhood sweetheart) Anna-Charlotte McFadyen ("Char", who runs an online interior decoration business) and their two children, Milo (b. 1998) and Elsie (b. 2001), plus Hugo (b. 1988) and Grace (b. 1991) from McCloud's previous relationship.

Born in Bedfordshire, McCloud and his two brothers, Terence and Graham, were raised in a house his parents had built. McCloud attended Dunstable Grammar School, which became Manshead Upper School, and then studied the history of art and architecture at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. He is conversant in French and Italian.

After graduating, McCloud trained and worked as a theatre designer, then set up his own lighting design practice and manufacturing business 'McCloud Lighting' - at one point employing 26 people. His work includes the carved and painted rococo-style vegetable ceiling in the food halls at Harrods, many projects in conjunction with J.J. Desmond Interiors and lighting installations at Ely Cathedral, Edinburgh Castle, the Savoy Hotel and the Dorchester Hotel. Today he concentrates on television work, journalism and product design, including work for British manufacturers.