For centuries, cities around the globe developed in basically the same manner. Commerce, housing and socialization all existed within a short walk. The rise of the automobile in in the 20th Century, however, led to a dramatic and fundamental shift in how we designed and planned communities- especially in the United States. Interstates, bedroom communities, and shopping centers became the norm, and today many Americans can no longer easily walk to a corner store, workplace, or the a local watering hole. Most Americans realistically function in society only by car. This change in how we live has come with great consequences. Studies have shown that our dependence on driving has cost us our money, our health, and our natural environment. It has made our neighborhoods less equitable, and even undermined our sense of community. How did we get to this point and what can be done? The hour-long documentary film Walkable USA will tackle these questions through a hybrid approach of human-interest story, history lesson, and walkable design primer.

Director Biography

Tom Desch (Producer/Director) was raised among the cornfields of Herscher, Illinois (population 1,600) and he credits his upbringing in this rural community on the fringe of Chicago’s influence as the inspiration for many of his films that take a look at our relationship with our environment- both the natural and the built. Recently, he produced, wrote, and directed An American Home which tells the story of the B. Harley Bradley House- a structure that helped launch the career of famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The film garnered him a regional Emmy nomination for outstanding achievement in writing. His multiple roles as a producer/writer/editor on The Lively One, Shifting Sands, and Everglades of the North earned him two more Emmy nominations. During his youth, he spent his summers helping his dad paint houses thus the company name of House Painter Media.