Singapore
Singapore's model of large-scale state land ownership and long-term leasing captures land value for public benefit — a quasi-Georgist system credited in its development success.
Overview
Singapore is frequently cited as a quasi-Georgist success story. The state owns the large majority of land and grants long-term leases rather than selling freehold. As the economy grows and land values rise, much of that increase accrues to the public landowner — the state — rather than to private speculators.
The Mechanism
By retaining ownership and leasing land (including the land under most public housing, built by the Housing & Development Board), Singapore captures the rising value of location for public purposes — funding infrastructure and housing. This is land-value capture by public landlordship rather than by taxation, but the economic logic is Georgist: the community captures the value the community creates.
Significance
Singapore shows a different route to the Georgist goal — public land leasing instead of a land value tax — and is a standard reference for advocates arguing that capturing land rent is compatible with rapid, market-driven growth.