This study offers a structured methodology for crafting an effective literature review through a chronological search strategy, concentrating on research pertaining to Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) and housing provision. The aim of this research is to evaluate the progression of academic discourse on Transit-Oriented Development (TOD), specifically concerning housing policies, planning frameworks, and implementation methodologies. We used Google Scholar as our main database to find and filter research outputs from different time periods, from 1925 to 2025. A broad keyword search found 1,110,000 publications about TOD, with about 230,000 of those specifically about housing in TOD. This is 21% of all TOD-related literature. Chronological filtering showed that research themes have changed over the decades. For example, early publications focused on transportation engineering and geospatial studies, while more recent research has focused on land-use planning, sustainability, equity, and mobility. The analysis reveals a significant rise in academic focus on Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) since the 1990s, paralleling the conceptual advocacy of TOD by early urban theorists. Recent literature (2015–2025) underscores governance, inclusive planning, affordability, environmental sustainability, and policy enforcement as pivotal research trajectories. The results show that chronological searching gives researchers a clear idea of how a topic has changed over time. This helps them keep track of how ideas are developing, find gaps in their knowledge, and build a stronger theoretical base for future research. The study finds that chronological filtering is a good way to put together changing research areas, especially in fields like TOD that are growing quickly.