They're denser towns with various shops for the essentials, so you don't have to drive for kilometers to get necessities, houses are on average significantly smaller, etc. They basically look like semi-suburban neighborhoods in big US cities (ie neighborhoods not in the city center with skyscrapers/etc).

That's not really rural. Rural is specifically defined as the areas outside towns and cities. The fact that you don't live in a metropolis doesn't mean you live in a rural area.

In the US, a population density greater than 999/sq mile is urban.

Kind of like North Seattle.

In other countries suburban villages have been growing for centuries before cars became available (at least in parts of Europe). So, one can live in these villages without a car and can expect some level of public transportation.