Hidden Empire of Finance: How Wall Street Profits from Our Cities and Fuels Global Inequality

Robert Beauregard

doi:10.1080/00130095.2026.2682798

July 6, 2026Economic Geography

Hidden Empire of Finance: How Wall Street Profits from Our Cities and Fuels Global Inequality

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Key Points

The aim is to explore the relationship between financial markets and urban development, particularly how speculation influences cities.
Historical analysis of land speculation by railroads
Examination of the impact of financial markets on urban growth
Assessment of the role of Wall Street in fostering global inequality
Land speculation significantly accelerated urban population growth in the US.
The financial actions of Wall Street have been linked to increasing disparities in wealth and resources globally.
The findings suggest that speculation contributes to ongoing economic inequalities in urban settings.

Implication

Reveals how financial speculation affects city growth and contributes to global inequality.

Abstract

Since the emergence of capitalism, speculation has been vital to the development of cities. In the US, land speculation by railroads in the mid-eighteenth century spurred the population of the Grea...

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Cite This Study

Robert Beauregard (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a4dea63d2ea289ef628424a https://doi.org/10.1080/00130095.2026.2682798

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Hidden Empire of Finance: How Wall Street Profits from Our Cities and Fuels Global Inequality

Key Points

Implication

Abstract

Discussion

Cite This Study

Hidden Empire of Finance: How Wall Street Profits from Our Cities and Fuels Global Inequality

Key Points

Implication

Abstract

Discussion

Cite This Study

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