There are examples across the globe where the link between infrastructure cost and land value increases have been made. In China and Hong Kong, for example, combining the redevelopment of rail stations with commercial development has meant that the commercial developer can fund or contribute to the project costs. The Mass Transit Railway Corporation in Hong Kong (MTR Corporation Limited) uses a "rail plus property model,"3 which allows it to augment revenue from rail services with the financial benefit of development rights to properties attached to the rail network, thereby integrating the infrastructure and commercial development. These developments might include residential, commercial office, and retail space.
In London there will be a supplementary tax of 2 pence on business rates to contribute to the funding of a new UK£15.9 billion Crossrail project (an East-West train link).4 It is anticipated that this supplement will raise approximately UK£4.1 billion, or just over 25 percent of the financing needed.