On paper sure they are villages, but I think a US village and one from elsewhere would likely feel drastically different. Lacking actual community (see Bowling Alone), or just look at the decay of it: all of the things that the village lost (shops, train station, industry etc) and what it still has(franchise dollar store, gas station etc).

It could just be coincidence, though “retirement village” is a term (also ecovillages) so maybe not. Aside from decay, I’d imagine the common perspective of blink-and-you’ll-miss-it (unless you stop for gas/maybe breakfast) probably doesn’t help with image either.