We have some sidewalks and sections like that, and even on the good ones there are some wicked cracks. I prefer my long fiberglass NFB canes with the round metal glide tip to those old classic pencil tips I have, and I never got used to that ball even when I lived in the country. I tend not to want to let the tip slide on the ground at all, but hard bounce it with every tap, so I rarely catch it, but if I forget and grab the aluminum cane with the pencil tip I'm catching it at the fast speed I like to walk. That's because the NFB canes bounce better, they're lighter, and the glide tips don't catch as easily IMHO. The trick is to learn the feel of the terrain and always try to walk in the middle of those iffy places where the sidewalk is grassy or broken. When you walk it enough you start to unconciously remember every rise and fall and the shape of the ground around you so you can keep to it. If you really need to, you could always use the compass on your phone and hold the phone out flat with the back seated in your gut rather than in your hand out in space where it might go wobbling. I don't do that unless I've really gone off course and lost the trail. I definitely have to walk slower in those really bad places though, but not painfully slow unless there's been a bad storm the previous night. Then there's liable to be branches on the sidewalk, or quasi-sidewalk as the case may be.

Thanks everyone for the advice. I’m going to try that bouncing technique if I can get my OM instructor to explain it. I understand the concept but boy am I uncoordinated I guess. Anyway, even if it solves the catching problem, I’m not confident it will solve the falling over the problem.
For that, the hiking boots idea sounds really good. The extra stability should make me at least partially impervious to the unevenness. The staff idea would help for the same reason, but I really really prefer to keep one hand free if possible. You guys are right that this problem seems pretty much exactly like hiking on rough trails, except the surface is much harder….
Of course, the whole point behind having pavement is so you have a smooth — not like hiking in the wilderness — surface in the first place. The thought of having to put on hiking boots just to walk to town on ostensibly paved streets and sidewalks is really annoying. I live in the US, where infrastructure is crumbling everywhere, and not enough people seem to want to pay taxes to fix it for some bizarre reason. Where I live, all the roads and sidewalks in the about five blocks where tourists go are perfect, but everywhere else….
Sorry for the rant. Thanks again for the advice

Wow, that sucks. I don't have experience with this, and maybe it's an extreme approach, but maybe get a long pole or staff that can support you and give you some additional tactile feedback. Hikers use these, and they can be good for areas with rocks, dropoffss, etc. You can also get more feedback using a long staff and a cane at the same time. I'd say any strategy for blind hiking would work here, essentially, and the staff in one hand and cane in the other is a good strategy. Other thing I'd recommend is decent boots that have ankle support, which can make a huge difference and probably improve your speed and confidence.

Hover the cane. I have this problem too and I can’t rest the cane tip on the ground so lightly hover it across the surface. I’m not one with super strong forearms so I use a graphite cane and ceramic tip. My aluminum cane is too heavy for this. I also wear very thin soled shoes so I can keep my balance when I step on uneven surfaces. This is a trick I’ve used in the woods all my life but I started using it every day since my vision started going.

Have you discussed it with your orientation and mobility instructor who taught you to use the cane? They may have some advice regarding the local area.
I had similar issues when I first started cane training (which was only very recently) and my instructor showed me how changing my technique helped and also he got me a longer cane- because of my height and the speed I walk, the longer cane ensures the roller ball is at the right angle on the ground and it catches snags far, far less.
I also have the issue of the ball wearing down quickly, I have bought a “high mileage” roller ball cane tip which is made of a different plastic and supposed to wear more slowly, but I haven’t tried it yet. I have an omni sense tip as well, which doesn’t wear much, but I am still preferring my roller ball as the omni sense tip requires me to push/ drag the cane and not use the correct technique relying on the momentum of the cane.
Lastly, if pavements where you need to walk are very uneven, you could ask the council (or your local equivalent) - after all, if motorists were having to deal with uneven roads and potholes, that would be complained about and dealt with in most rich countries; I often think issues that only affect pedestrians are just left. I recently mentioned to my council that some of the tactile rotating cones underneath the pedestrian crossings were broken, and they did fix them- albeit that’s far cheaper than re-surfacing pavements.
Good Luck!

Hi, pencil grip with 2 point touch. Wearing a good set of shoes that provide ancle support may be best.
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I don't have any tips, but I have to say that VoiceOver read the words "lumpy uneven asphalt" like lumpy, uneven, asshole.

Hey wait a second I do have a tip! Watch out for your corn hole, bud!

I have seen a roller wheel that I have considered for trail walking. Basically what you are describing sounds as tough as off road walking.

Not sure where you live but that sounds very bad. I would say walk slowly and maybe this is where two point touch may help. Maybe walk in the street or on the grass which is more flat?