ugly edges

[stevenf]

I have noticed that every older house has there yards 5-6 inches above there driveway and sidewalk. Lots are edged frequently but that doesnt fix the problem. On the bigger ones, Ive actually seen where the dirt itself is 2-3 inches above the sidewalk and driveway almost like the driveway sank.
What causes this? Is sodding the only way to fix it?

[daveintoledo]

pavement sinks, so does blacktop, and sidewalks, in an older neighborhood, thats just the way it is, unless you want to raise all the pavement....

[lawnpro724]

What causes this is natural settling of the driveway and sidewalks the older the home the more settling. A lot of homes were built on lots filled in with debris and fill dirt and whatever else they could throw in and over time its starts to break down and decay. I'm not sure what you can do about it except re-grade the lawn and re seed or sodding.