I miss the redwood tree that was slaughtered there several years ago, but the latest owners of a particular front yard across from the Sunnyvale library have done something interesting with it: after enclosing it with heavy beams and creating a roofed-over bench in the width of the fence, this year they converted most of the lawn into vegetable beds. It's attractive and the plants are healthy, although I have yet to see anyone sitting out there watching the peas, tomatoes, and chard grow.
.