Grass has its place, but it nuts how we water and fertilize lawns, and then have to cut them more often. In my town, it's easy to see which folks have a lawn service, because there aren't any weeds. I'm glad to say that most lawns are not like that -- my town, Eugene, Oregon, promotes letting the grass go brown during our dry summers. There are other towns, too, like Tucson, Arizona, that changed the water pricing structure so that it's better to not have a lawn. The politicians that made the change got voted out of office because of it, but it has changed the water use for decades after. I'm glad they were courageous enough to risk their political careers for that.
I'm a big fan of using a yard for food -- either by eating weeds, having an edible landscape, or having a garden. There are so many plants that would fit into even the limitations of a Homeowner's Association (HOA) that can still provide food -- trees, shrubs, vines, perennials, and annuals. It would be fun to see a whole "stealth garden" industry.
I know a gal in the Tacoma area that runs her Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) operation by gardening in the yards of different neighbors -- all in their front yards. And Curtis Stone, in British Columbia, runs a profitable farm off 1/3-acre by gardening in regular yards that he leases. He's got a great YouTube channel.
There's hope for changing perspectives. And there's food to be had from it! : )