Agriculture is being transformed and will be transformed in the future to ensure its sustainability in producing food and fiber to the ever growing population of the world. Likewise, urban areas, especially the landscapes we experience and use daily are also transforming in terms of their design and management. In our presentation, we will discuss some of the unique benefits of turfgrass areas and challenges to their sustainability. It’s a complicated equation because of the urban environment and “unnatural” demands placed on turfgrasses there. But they are necessary to understand in order to meet the critically important environmental, recreational and social needs of urban dwellers—the majority of the world’s population. The adjustments to turfgrass management to maximize sustainability encompass nearly all practices ranging from species selection to the numerous management strategies. Rather than itemizing these practices, which is nearly impossible because of the complex interactions among them, we present three case studies to illustrate the flexible and diverse thinking needed to constantly adjust those practices and maximize sustainability. Those case studies involve research comparing golf course management practices, turfgrass species choice based on function, and irrigation management of public school grounds.