The TurfMutt Foundation Identifies the Top Backyarding Trends for 2025

The popularity of backyarding will continue to increase in 2025, says the TurfMutt Foundation, which has encouraged outdoor living and caring for green spaces for the last 15 years. Backyarding is the act of moving everyday activities like dining, entertaining, relaxing, and working to the outdoor green space around us, such as family yards, parks, sports fields, and other green areas.

“Things are always changing economically, culturally, and in terms of what people prioritize in their lives; however, the importance of the family backyard and community parks remains consistent,” says Kris Kiser, President & CEO of the TurfMutt Foundation. “People have come to appreciate the many health, well-being, environmental, and economic benefits of the green space around us, and communities should be making it a greater priority.”

Here are the top backyarding trends the TurfMutt Foundation has identified for 2025:

• The need for urban backyarding will increase. Homebuyers moved to the suburbs in droves during the pandemic, but mandates to return to in-person workspaces continue driving people back to city centers. This means greater importance on making the most of small urban backyards, balconies, or patio gardens. There will also be an increased desire for “public backyarding” spaces like neighborhood parks, pocket parks, community gardens, dog parks, and more.
• Cities investing in green space will be sought after. Community investment in spaces for “public backyarding” as a keystone amenity has proven to produce happier residents. Green space makes cities more livable, creates wildlife habitats, and improves environmental conditions within city corridors. The city of Louisville is ahead of this trend with Mulligan’s Bark Park and The TurfMutt Foundation Great Lawn, which are both located in the city’s historic downtown.
• Outdoor activity areas will accommodate all ages. According to the National Association of REALTORS®, there are now more multi-generational households than ever before. This is largely because of the cost of homeownership and the need to pool money to afford housing. Other factors are an aging population that requires care or young adults “boomeranging” back home due to high housing costs. Backyards will be revamped for flexible activity zones that accommodate all manner of activities.
• Backyards will become wellness retreats. The focus on improving mental health in big and small ways will continue to gain steam in 2025, and the backyard and public green space will play a pivotal role. People will set up calming spaces in their yards to support a slower lifestyle, seek out opportunities to disconnect from technology, and reconnect to the natural world right at their backdoor and in neighborhood parks.
• Pet-friendly spaces will level up. More than 66 percent of American households own a pet, and more millennials are choosing pets over having kids. Expect greater pet pampering in the backyard with water fountains, digging areas, and at-home agility courses. Pet lovers also will seek out communities that cater to their canines with dog parks like Mulligan’s Bark Park, agility courses, splash pads, pet-friendly shopping and dining corridors, and more.

To learn more about the TurfMutt Foundation, visit TurfMutt.com, where visitors can download the TurfMutt Foundation’s International Backyarding Fact Book. For more, sign up for Mutt Mail, a monthly e-newsletter with backyarding tips and all the news from the TurfMutt Foundation here. Look for Mulligan the TurfMutt on the CBS Lucky Dog television show on Saturday mornings.

About the TurfMutt Foundation
TurfMutt, which is celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2024, was created by the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute’s (OPEI) TurfMutt Foundation and has reached more than 70 million children, educators and families since 2009. Championed by Foundation spokesdog, Mulligan the TurfMutt, and through education partners such as Weekly Reader, Discovery Education and Scholastic, TurfMutt has taught students and teachers how to “save the planet, one yard at a time.” Today, TurfMutt is an official USGBC® Education Partner and part of their global LEARNING LAB. TurfMutt has been an education resource at the U.S. Department of Education’s Green Ribbon Schools, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Green Apple, the Center for Green Schools, the Outdoors Alliance for Kids, the National Energy Education Development (NEED) project, Climate Change Live, Petfinder and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In 2017, the TurfMutt animated video series won the coveted Cynopsis Kids Imagination Award for Best Interstitial Series. TurfMutt’s personal home habitat was featured in the 2017-2020 Wildlife Habitat Council calendars.In 2024, the Great Lawn at Louisville’s award-winning Waterfront Park on the Ohio River was renamed the TurfMutt Foundation Great Lawn as part of a $1 million sponsorship. More information at www.TurfMutt.com.