Lawns are conspicuous consumption at its finest; improving them is not making the world a better place. This is one case where the guilt is telling you something.
Lawns, as in well-manicured grassy areas, are not typically the only thing a lawn care company does. The ones in my area do full landscaping, possibly excavating, and they have someone with a landscape architecture background. In the Fall they do leaf removal, which is changing now to leaf shredding. In the Winter, they do snow removal.
We have a mix of elderly and families with young children in my neighborhood. Having affordable lawn care companies helps us tremendously.
If we are ever going to see great alternatives to lawns develop, I wouldn't be surprised if it is going to be in part done by good-quality landscaping firms. Team up with a permaculturist and start making a bigger difference.
Would you prefer to have a road/more dense urban space/a parking garage?
I agree with you in that I wouldn't find my own personal lawn satisfying, but lawns are not nearly the worst option. Humans need outdoor space - the lawn also benefits people passing by.
More dense urban space, yes. Once you increase the housing density you can have walkable/cycleable cities and decent public transport rather than urban sprawl.
I'm in favour of open, green spaces for people to play or relax, but that doesn't happen on lawns; public parks (at least as implemented here in Europe) offer much more chance for everyone to enjoy, and socially rather than on their own.
