Government Infrastructure Investment Dividends and Urban Development

Abstract

Urban developments in expanding economies require increasing investments in infrastructure and services. If these are not provided by developers and landowners, the cost has to be met by the government and taxpayers. Financial benefits of economic development accrue to developers and landowners in the form of increased land values, but previous attempts to redirect a share of these benefits to the government have rarely been successful. A more logical and practical alternative would be the introduction of a system that returns dividends to the government in proportion to its investments in infrastructure and services.