If I recall my history correctly, this was basically done in the U.S. during the 19th century by the railroads in their expansion west. The government gave the railroad a land grant of one mile on each side of the new track they laid. Then, the railroad would sell off the land; it had increased in value dramatically by being near the railroad. It seemed to work, even though a lot of small railroad companies went broke, a lot or rail got put down and a lot of money was made.