Just as a flaneur in Hong Kong would be remiss in his or her explorations without looking up into the density of urban life that occurs in skyscrapers and apartment towers, looking at the ground offers a glimpse of art, utility and public works in a city — from manhole covers and street gravel, to sidewalk collisions of color, texture and pattern.

In this brief photo interlude, I'd like to highlight a photo series by ethnographer Phoebe Kuo, as she documents Sao Paulo underfoot:

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Credits: Photos by pfebes.