I would argue that it isn't. Rowling's goes out of her way to avoid the modern world, in many ways to the point of absurdity. Anything modern is replaced with something magical. Though that slips more in the later books I suppose.

Perhaps I am responding too seriously to your post.

 

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well, all the religious wackjobs call it satanic because it exists inside our world. that's my understanding of it at least. the start of each book, when he's with his aunt and uncle, is very urban fantasy imo though. at least for the first 4.

 

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In Harry Potter the mundane world is almost the fantasy world. Those sections are apart from the normal story, they are the abnormal preludes before we enter the 'real' world. I agree there are 'urban fantasy' elements to the books and in the strictest sense it could be classified as 'urban fantasy' but I think the spirit of the series is the exact opposite.

 

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If Harry Potter is urban fantasy than so is the Chronicles of Narnia.

You want an emasculating urban read, pick up Puzo's the Fortunate Pilgrim. Granted, it's not fantasy. It's not really fiction either, but it's a good one.

 

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Have to lump the Xanth Chronicles in there if you're going to call Harry Potter and Narnia urban fantasy. Mundania (visited a few times) was our mundane little place.

xanth is a stretch i think but some of his other series like the incarnations of immortality would definitely fall into an urban fantasy definition.

 

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