Metropolis, money and markets. The urban agenda in times of reemergence of global capital

Abstract

This paper explores the complementarities between political economy approaches and social studies of finance to build an understanding of the varied mechanisms through which finance capital connects with the (re)production of the metropolis, emphasizing the Brazilian context. After introducing the basic concepts of the social studies of finance and qualifying them in light of the orthodox approach of corporate finance, I discuss two examples of the potential insights this approach provides for the analysis of the interaction between finance capital and the metropolis, one related to the securitization of taxes, the other associated with water pricing in Greater São Paulo. The paper is concluded with recommendations for a research agenda that connects political economy with social studies of urban finance.