A big backyard used to be part of the Australian dream. But a shift has happened over time.

Block sizes for new houses across our cities have shrunk by 22 per cent in the past 15 years, according to the ABS.

The average block size is now 467 square metres - but while the size of land is shrinking, house sizes have not.

Put simply: we're building bigger houses with smaller yards.

So, RIP the backyard? What does it mean for our communities if backyards become a rarity?