Sergio Palleroni, SOCIAL JUSTICE

Co-founder and Director, Basic Initiative

Sergio Palleroni is a professor and fellow of the Centre for Sustainable Processes and Practices at Portland State University. He has worked on housing and community development in the developing world since the 1970s, both for international not-for-profit and government agencies. In 1995, Palleroni co-founded the basic initiative as an assistance program for underserved communities. along with his students, he is providing design and planning services, building the capacity of those communities to become self-sufficient. He has received numerous awards for his teaching and design work, including the National Education Awards from the ACSA/AIA, NCARB, and the National Design Award from the Smithsonian Institution in 2005.