Michael Goldman: Hidden Empire of Finance
Schedule
Wed Jun 03 2026 at 04:30 pm to 05:30 pm
UTC+01:00Location
University of Bath (Room 2.45, 10 West) | Bath, EN
About this Event
About the event
Since the 1970s, new global cities have emerged as key nodes in the world economy. Professor Michael Goldman, author of Hidden Empire of Finance: How Wall Street Profits from Our Cities and Fuels Global Inequality, traces their rise and their fate following the 2008 financial crisis.
He argues that as countries including India and China sought to develop urban infrastructures that could compete with western hubs like New York, Paris and London, financial institutions began treating these new global cities as investment opportunities. Large volumes of capital now flow through complex financial tools, enabling financial firms located oceans away to own and control vast networks of public goods and services.
In this event, Michael discusses how ‘speculative urbanism’ displaces communities, deepens inequality and influences how cities around the world are planned and governed. His work offers a revealing account of the hidden financial forces shaping urban life globally.
Chaired by Dr Mihika Chatterjee, Co-Director of the Centre for Development Studies, University of Bath.
This event is open to all and there will be time for audience questions.
Biographies
Michael Goldman is Professor of Sociology and Director of the Institute for Global Studies at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. He is the author of Imperial Nature and the co-editor of The Social Lives of Land and Chronicles of a Global City, among others. His latest book is Hidden Empire of Finance: How Wall Street Profits from Our Cities and Fuels Global Inequality.
Dr Mihika Chatterjee is a political economist with an interdisciplinary orientation to international development. Her research interests include the politics of late-industrialisation, the role of finance in the rural South, and labour struggles. She is a Lecturer in International Development, and Co-Director of the Centre for Development Studies, University of Bath.
This event is hosted by the University of Bath Centre for Development Studies (CDS) and Institute for Policy Research (IPR).
If you have any questions about this event, please contact us via Eventbrite or email [email protected]
Read the IPR privacy notice.
Please note: this is an in-person event.
Getting to the University of Bath campus
By bus
First West of England runs services between Bath and the University campus. Visit the bus section on the website to find out about the bus services you can take to and from the University’s Claverton Down campus.
Cycling and walking
You can walk or bike from the centre of Bath using North Road, Bathwick Hill or Widcombe Hill. These routes involve a steep uphill climb. It will take 30-40 minutes to walk to campus.
Visit the cycling and walking section on the website for more detail about the routes.
Driving
If you drive to the University, you can use the Pay to Park parking on campus and pay using the JustPark app. There is Pay to Park parking for visitors in the East Car Park and the South Car Park. If you have a Blue Badge, you can use disabled parking spaces free of charge. There are Blue Badge spaces in all campus car parks.
Visit the parking section on the website for more detailed information on parking at the campus.
View an accessibility map of parking and wheelchair access points on campus. Visit the Campus Car Parks page on AccessAble for more information.
Where is it happening?
University of Bath (Room 2.45, 10 West), Claverton Down, Bath, United KingdomEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
GBP 0.00
