Transit-oriented development (TOD) isn’t a new concept. In the early 1900s, neighborhoods developed around train and streetcar systems. However, many of those systems and city centers fell by the wayside as people bought cars and moved to the suburbs.

But interest in TOD has picked up — way up — in recent years. Downtown areas are being revived and with transportation costs on the rise, more people want to live in pedestrian-friendly areas near a transit line.

“Homes near transit are almost becoming like beachfront property. It’s coveted and rare, and there’s a huge demand for it,” says American Public Transportation Association Vice President for Policy Art Guzzetti.

As a result, many transit agencies are jumping on the TOD bandwagon. Nearly every U.S. transit-rail agency is involved with TOD in some way, shape or form, whether they’re managing real estate near stations, working with cities and developers to create transit-friendly communities, or looking into potential development opportunities.

“You don’t necessarily have to have money in it, you don’t necessarily have to have land in it,” says Jack Wierzenski, director of economic development and planning for Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART). “Our role varies.”

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