Urban Villages Co-Founder and Executive Chairman Grant McCargo has been named to the prestigious 2026 TIME100 Climate list. Out today, the list recognizes McCargo’s visionary leadership behind Populus Hotels — the hotel collection created and developed by Urban Villages that puts the health of the planet first — and his overall commitment to advancing environmentally responsible development and hospitality.
McCargo co-founded Urban Villages over 20 years ago and continues to guide the company’s long-term vision and strategic direction — championing an approach to development that prioritizes environmental responsibility and the creation of healthier, more resilient cities. He also serves as CEO of Bio-Logical Capital, a land development, revitalization and conservation company, where his work in regenerative agriculture and land conservation further informs his commitment to sustainable development.
McCargo’s vision is exemplified by Populus Hotels, created by Urban Villages to establish a new benchmark for environmentally-forward hospitality. Comprising Populus Denver and Populus Seattle, the hotels are designed to celebrate and protect the natural world while demonstrating how sustainability and exceptional guest experiences can coexist. Both properties embrace climate-friendly hospitality principles, including sequestering more carbon than they emit throughout their lifecycle, using 100% renewable electricity, planting a tree for every night’s stay through the One Night, One Tree program, and pledging 1% of revenue to regional environmental conservation organizations through the Populus Stewardship Grant.
Populus Denver, which opened in October 2024 as the country’s first carbon-positive hotel, has earned international recognition for its innovative approach to environmental stewardship, architecture, and hospitality. The hotel was named to TIME’s World’s Greatest Places of 2025, honored as Esquire’s 2025 Hotel of the Year, and recognized as a top new hotel by Travel + Leisure, AFAR, and more. Populus Seattle opened in May 2025 and has since been named one of AFAR’s Best New Hotels of 2026. Both properties have earned a MICHELIN Key for two consecutive years, while Populus Hotels was named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies of 2026, further underscoring the brand’s leadership in environmentally forward hospitality.
“I’ve always considered myself an environmentalist first, so being recognized by TIME100 Climate alongside the world’s most notable climate changemakers is an incredible honor,” said McCargo. “With the built environment accounting for nearly 40 percent of global carbon emissions, real estate developers have a crucial responsibility to rethink how we build and operate. That’s why at Urban Villages, our developments are intentionally rooted in the intersection of people, planet, and profit – from Populus Hotels, which show that a hotel can better the environment while delivering exceptional design and hospitality, to RailSpur, a dynamic adaptive reuse project that’s helping reshape the future of Seattle’s most storied neighborhood. My hope is that this recognition shows how thoughtful development can drive meaningful environmental change and inspires others in our industry to take a greener approach.”
Beyond its recent work on Populus Hotels, Urban Villages’ belief that what’s right for the environment and creating economic value don’t have to be competing objectives is reflected in various developments across the country. This includes RailSpur, a cultural hub in Seattle’s Pioneer Square, where historic buildings are reimagined as spaces for creativity, hospitality, and community; Denver’s Sugar Block, which blends adaptive reuse of the Historic Sugar Building with architecturally dynamic urban infill; and West Village at UC Davis, the largest planned Net-Zero energy community in United States.
Now in its fourth annual year, the TIME100 Climate list recognizes the 100 most influential leaders driving business climate action, spotlighting individuals whose leadership and innovation are advancing meaningful environmental solutions. To create the list, TIMEeditors spent months researching individuals across various industries who have achieved measurable, scalable action towards influencing the climate economy. To view the full 2026 TIME100 Climate list, visit HERE and to view Grant’s interview, visit HERE.
