The western suburb of Bartlett is expected to get a new transit-oriented development (TOD) around its Metra station, according to the Chicago Tribune. Bartlett is not alone. A larger trend is showing that suburbs are making an effort to update their downtown areas to make them more like urban centers. 

The Bartlett TOD will feature retail space, office space, and residential buildings, according to the report. The city also plans to make updates geared toward improving walkability and bikeability of the area. A key part of a TOD is making the area less reliant on cars.

The Regional Transit Authority gave Bartlett $100,000 to help support the TOD. The city provided an additional $25,000, according to the report. Over the past two decades, the RTA has given suburban communities approximately $20 million to support projects like the one in Bartlett.

The Chicago Tribune points to suburbs like Elmhurst, Evanston, and Orland Park as examples of suburbs with busy and walkable downtown areas.