The article should have been named "too many plastic toy eyesore on lawns and not the decline of the yard. If he were to write an article about the real decline of the American lawn his topic would have been something to the effect.

You know, I drive thru old neighborhoods and look at the American yard as it was imagined in the 40's and 50's. (the 1850's that is) Where land was the imagined ideal of nirvana, and his big front and backyard and how he took care of his property. Was as much a reflection of the sense of pride he had about his property. As it was also as much a sense of pride in the American dream.

Now a days that dream has been shattered by unscrupulous city and states governments as well as greedy landowners, building company's, and banks. New houses and nieghborhoods going up today with almost zero lots are more reflective of corporate greed than lazy homeowners who do not want to cut their grass.

Come on.. where is the article about how the new trend in building is cutting down huge old trees and replacing them with little dinky matchsticks. Where is the point about how much energy shade from a big tree would save energ cooling the house? Why are corporations being allowed to build houses three inches away from the next house in order to maximize how many houses can go on a field? Thus filling their pockets with fees from storage units they also build two miles down the road?

The decline of the yard is not because of plastic toys, the decline in the yard is because of corporate greed..Here's a tip.. Next time you want to write an article such as this, go to a place other than those old northern states. Places in which no new building really takes place because of historics. Where yards are still big because they built them to actually fit a grown up and not some idiot who wants to live a city apartment life in the suburbs. I grew up in Texas and am amazed about the Bostonian type nieghborhoods (in regards to space) that these builders from the north are doing down here.

Maybe thats one reason why people are not so friendly anymore or know their nieghbors. Why would you want know someone you cant at least get ten feet away from once in a while, while you are out in your front yard?

"Corporate greed" is vague and off-point. The absence of large lots and front lawns can be attributed to any range of factors, including:

• suburban densification (due to rising value of land)
• smart growth (deliberate effort at land-use planning that promotes compact lots)
• sustainability (fertilizers, water usage)

whatever.. why is it when builders come to city officials to get a permit to build they ask for the maximum amount of houses they can put on a peice of land.. i.e. houses with no yards and no storage space? I have seen it happen over and over here..In the city I live in this builder wanted to put 356 houses on a peice of land that would not support that much. (without making no space between them) The council turned them down and they ended up placing 156 houses on the lot and they all have four foot front and backyards.

dont give me land price, they already bought the land, they know if they cram as many houses on the land that they can get more money...i.e. corporate greed. It also eventually turns into suburban sprawl.. please dont give me points unless you admit this point in the begining. otherwise tell me why they used to build lots with average sized front and backyards until the last ten years? It's the new way to build and the new way to cram people together.