On that note I should say that, although not as beautifully designed, here in Long Beach California the city has had artists paint murals on the utility and electrical boxes you see on city sidewalks and corners. So maybe that is a step in the right direction.
My sister, an interior designer, likes to photograph sidewalk stamps put there by the contractors who poured the concrete. Some go back 80 to 90 years and are disappearing as sidewalks get replaced for urban renewal and handicap access. When seen as a group, even utilitarian, they become a fascinating study.