Institutes, Centers, & Affiliated Organizations

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Open Access
The Asian NII Experience
(INET, 1997) Lovelock, Peter; The Network Startup Resource Center (NSRC), University of Oregon
In this paper I look at what these new polices have meant for the provision of Internet access in the region and, specifically, what the relation is between the NII programs and Internet policies of a number of selected Asian countries: China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and India. The first section of the paper sets out the NII policy focus and the distinctive nature of the Asian development agenda. The second section looks briefly at the role of the Internet as a part of the overall NII program. The third section of the paper contrasts the NII and Internet programs of selected Asian countries.
Open Access
Sustainable Collaborative Efforts in Internet Development in Asia: A13 Phase II
(INET, 1997) Yamaguchi, Suguru; Izumiyama, Hidetaka; Murai, Jun; The Network Startup Resource Center (NSRC), University of Oregon
The AI3 (Asian Internet Interconnection Initiatives) Project started in 1995 as an R&D project for the Internet research community in Asia. The project installed its testbed network in Indonesia, Hong Kong, and Thailand in 1996. On this network, several research activities and experiments, such as the WWW cache mechanism using a new management scheme, the distant learning system called "Virtual University" over the Internet, and video multicasting over this infrastructure using IP multicasting, were undertaken with AI3 research partners. In 1997, we are going to expand this effort to four or five more countries using a new datalink technology: TDM multichannel access with C band satellite links. In this system, we assign a single transponder (30 megabytes per second [Mbps] total) for traffic between a hub station in Japan and AI3 regional stations in partner's countries. We are developing a new interface hardware to manage this "fat pipe" in a TDM manner. Using this mechanism, we can handle unbalanced traffic over international Internet links more effectively. In this paper, we report several results from the ongoing research project on the AI3 testbed and introduce a new approach, called "AI3 phase II," to expand its efforts to more countries.
Open Access
Regional Integration of Central American Countries and Opportunities for Internetworking
(INET, 1997) Calvo-Drago, Jorge D.; The Network Startup Resource Center (NSRC), University of Oregon
The Central American countries (Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, and Belize) have recently decided to go into a process of political, economic, social, cultural, and ecological integration through a Central American Integration System. Some of the challenges that the integration faces include the strengthening of the decision making process, and this paper particularly discusses decision follow-up and coordination, national implementation of regional agreements, social communication and participation of civil society, and external and cooperation relations and their respective opportunities for Internetworking.
Open Access
Networking Latin America and the Caribbean: Creating Alternatives
(INET, 1993) Rodriguez, Luis German; The Network Startup Resource Center (NSRC), University of Oregon
There is an ongoing process of integration of academic networks in Latin American and Caribbean countries. This papers analyzes how different factors have shaped this process and explains the main conclusions of a recent meeting in Guadalajara, Mexico (November 1992). This process has gone through several stages of maturity for over four years and it can be said that it has not followed patterns of development observed in other regions of the world. The evolution of the effort for connecting and organizing the networks of the region is seen through the results of the different meetings where their actors and promoters have confronted their goals against the facts that condition them. There have been five regional meetings devoted to this goal (from San Jose, Costa Rica, in 1989 to Guadalajara, Mexico, in 1992). The stages can be associated with several factors, one of them is the development of the national initiatives; some countries have more than one network pretending to cover the academic community and in many cases these initiatives have conflicts among them. Another factor is the support of that these initiatives have from their national councils for science and technology; some are officially backed by their governments while others are still fighting to be recognized or at least to be considered as a helpful tool for the academic sector. The participation of organizations external to the region and interested on promoting the integration process (Organization of American States, FUNDESCO, National Science Foundation, UNESCO, UNDP, etc.) has also played a decisive role in it. The initiatives of the region led to the decision, at the last meeting of academic networks for Latin America and the Caribbean, to create an open forum devoted to monitoring the process. The evaluation will be done during the annual gathering. The achievement of the defined goals will be checked against the development of specific tasks associated with the established strategies.
Open Access
ITU Telecommunication Indicators Update: International Internet Bandwith in Asia-Pacific
(International Telecommunication Union, 2002) The Network Startup Resource Center (NSRC), University of Oregon
The Asia-Pacific region is witnessing an explosion of international Internet bandwidth. Capacity on Internet links connecting Asia-Pacific to the world have skyrocketed more than eightfold over the last two years from 8 to 65 gigabits (Gbit/s) by the end of 2001.1 International Internet capacity in the region now far exceeds conventional telephone capacity (see Figure 1).
Open Access
Information Technology in Africa: A Proactive Approach and the Prospects of Leapfrogging Decades in the Development Process
(INET, 1997) Kwankam, S. Yunkap; Ningo, N. Ntomambang; The Network Startup Resource Center (NSRC), University of Oregon
This paper examines perspectives for the growth of information technology (IT) in Africa. The central thesis is that, as in other development sectors, technological solutions are more readily available than the political will to implement them. Policy aspects of IT therefore need to be addressed, in terms of formulation, dissemination, and implementation. In the absence of clear and enforceable policy, the African information industry is likely to evolve in a haphazard manner in reaction to uncoordinated external motives, thus allowing improper practices that would impair the growth of enthusiasm for IT. One strategy proposed is to concentrate IT development in priority sectors identified by governments themselves, such as education, health, and the environment, thereby opening new vistas of application. Examples are given of how this can be done. Another strategy is to pursue IT at the regional level with strong interagency collaboration, given the interdisciplinary nature of the technology. This would have two positive outcomes. It would contribute to bringing down the barriers that currently circumscribe countries into fairly closed information entities. Second, it would exploit the bandwagon effect, which has worked successfully in the health sector, to commit African governments to IT development programs. Such development should take a long-term view and reach for the cutting edge of technology, for which some institutional capacity already exists. The continent could thus leapfrog decades in the development of IT and provide an empowering environment for development in other sectors.
Open Access
Comparative Study: School Networks in Latin America
(INET, 1999) Dunayevich, Julian; Mayer, Jorge; D'Eramo, Romina; Vidal, Arnoldo; Guerra, Victor; Pisanty, Alejandro; The Network Startup Resource Center (NSRC), University of Oregon
Several Latin American and Caribbean countries have made progress in designing and implementing school network projects at a national level. These projects have been undertaken as part of an educational system modernization process. These ongoing projects are related to new trends in communications and information technology in the field of education. This paper will analyze the various national experiences. Its main points are the following: - Different types and approaches of the several national projects; definition and scope of universe and of basic strategies; goals; adaptation modes between the project and the type of educational system; network extension programs; and interpreting these policies in terms of making up for inequality. - Network engineering models; existence or lack of a central backbone; types of telecommunication technologies; supplying equipment; scope of service; and accessibility to rural zones and those difficult to access. - Program administration policies; financing; participation of private sector; agencies for project management; management, technical, professional, and educational teams; budget makeup and administration; and studies on the regulatory framework of each country. - Pedagogic models; teacher training; developing educational programs; educational TV experiences and multimedia resources; and adapting such resources to classroom and school. - Development of national experiences; degree of implementation; evaluation systems used in carrying out and achieving goals; and indicators of the impact of the policies on the educational process and on the region. Project reports as well as statistical and technical reports will be used for this paper.
Open Access
Case Studies on Development of the Internet in Latin America and the Caribbean
(Organization of American States, 2000) Hahn, Saul; The Network Startup Resource Center (NSRC), University of Oregon
Through the Hemisphere Wide Inter-University Scientific and Technological Information Network (RedHUCyT) project, the Organization of American States (OAS) helped local initiatives in the member states in either the creation or expansion of networks in their countries. Through the years, RedHUCyT (http://www.redhucyt.oas.org/) became a major contributing force for the development of the Internet in Latin America and the Caribbean region. It collaborated and coordinated with academic institutions, governments, phone companies (PTT) and the private sector to create many of the first Internet points of presence (POPs) in this region. Essential to these developments were the local network managers and officers at participant institutions, and their dedicated teams of experts, who made these projects possible.
Open Access
Brief History of the Internet
(Internet Society, 1997) The Network Startup Resource Center (NSRC), University of Oregon; Leiner, Barry M.; Cerf, Vinton G.; Clark, David D.; Kahn, Robert E.; Kleinrock, Leonard; Lynch, Daniel C.; Postel, Jon; Roberts, Dr. Lawrence G.; Wolff, Stephen
The Internet has revolutionized the computer and communications world like nothing before. The invention of the telegraph, telephone, radio, and computer set the stage for this unprecedented integration of capabilities.
Open Access
Report identifying issues related to the geographic coverage of European research and education networking
(Information Society Technologies, 2003-11-28) Bonac, Marko; Martin, John; The Network Startup Resource Center (NSRC), University of Oregon
The topic of this report is the current state of research and education networking in wider Europe. It focuses on geographic variations and in particular on the digital divide between the most developed and least developed National Research and Education Networks (NRENs). A major part of this report is based on a comprehensive survey of NRENs in "Neighboring Countries" carried out in spring 2003. The geographic coverage of this report is the "Neighboring Countries" of the European Economic Area, which for the purposes of this report are defined as the ten countries (Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia) that plan to join the European Union on 1 May 2004 and eight other European countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, FYR Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, and Turkey). The concepts of equal opportunities for researchers and of the digital divide are central to this study. Equal opportunity is the goal, but we have found that in Europe today there is a significant digital divide and that there is a real risk of "research exclusion". Research network provision - The survey reviewed the current standard of research network provision in the Neighboring Countries. There is a great variation between countries. Several accession states have research networks of a high standard. Elsewhere there are some countries with no effective research network at all. Most lie somewhere in between. It should be emphasized that no country is entirely free of problems and, equally, there are none without some positive aspects. Overall, fourteen of the eighteen countries reported major problems either at the international, national or LAN level. From the detailed responses it is clear that the lack of low-cost high-speed lines is seen as the major obstacle to improving research network provision. This is due to a lack of competition and the continuing dominance of the (ex-)monopoly telecommunications operators. The situation is similar to that in EU countries ten years ago. However, some of the fourteen countries have succeeded in taking the opportunity to acquire dark fibre and this has enabled them to leapfrog and rapidly develop quite an advanced network. Those who have not succeeded yet in doing this lag behind, especially in the development of their backbone capacity. Some conclusions derived from this study - Firstly, the digital divide exists in research networking in Europe and to such a level that, if uncorrected, will prevent the goal of equal opportunities for researchers being attained. Secondly, in the countries most affected by the digital divide the case for effective government support for research networking still needs to be made. This is an area where the European Commission, national governments, TERENA and the NREN community all need to play their part. Thirdly, looking to the future, we conclude that research exclusion is a real risk in most of the Neighboring Countries and that this will obstruct attempts to build the European Research Area. Many national governments are aware of the risks of information exclusion and recognize the need to follow the lead of eEurope in building an Information Society. Far fewer perceive the dangers posed by the digital divide in research networking and the need to close this gap. Proposed steps to achieve equal opportunities for research and education - First, we do see an opportunity to make major strides towards diminishing the digital divide. If an NREN can get access to dark fibre, then it can, within the same budget, immediately upgrade the network capacity by as much as a factor of 100. In a monopoly situation it is not easy to get access to dark fibre; however, we have found examples where this has been done successfully. Secondly, there is wealth of testimony to the fact that participation in joint projects has been helpful to the NRENs in Neighboring Countries. These are joint projects with other NRENs from all parts of Europe that often, but not always, have been supported by EU funding. This should be continued and extended to cover the new countries. For these countries, a small amount of funding could make a large difference. Finally, the survey shows that the European Union has already proved to be very influential in persuading governments in Neighboring Countries that are accession states or aspire to EU membership to commit to the Information Society. Therefore the EU could be equally persuasive in showing the importance of research networking. Specifically, the EU should help drive the further liberalization of telecommunications and in particular help to persuade national governments that NRENs should get access to dark fibre. The EU could also support the investments in research and education infrastructure inside accession countries through other measures (e.g. Structural Funds).
Open Access
Review of Developments in Latin America: CAESAR
(Information Society Technologies, 2002-06-30) Stover, Cathrin; The Network Startup Resource Center (NSRC), University of Oregon
This document reviews the situation of the national research networks or related organizations in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela.
Open Access
ICFA Digital Divide Update on US-Latin American Networking: CHEPREO, WHREN and LILA
(Network Startup Resource Center (NSRC), 2004-08-04) Alvarez, Heidi; Ibarra, Julio; The Network Startup Resource Center (NSRC), University of Oregon
Since our last update, we would like to bring the committee up to date on activities between the US and Brazil under the auspices of the Center for High Energy Physics Research and Educational Outreach (CHEPREO1), including the link between Miami and Sao Paulo, the Sao Paulo cluster, the outlook map for the Brazilian GIGA project. Additionally, we will report on (1) developing synergies between CHEPREO and the UltraLight program; (2) a network monitoring research grant from CISCO; (3) a proposal for a Western Hemisphere Research and Education Networking (WHREN) governance structure and Links Interconnecting Latin America (LILA), in response to the National Science Foundation International Research Network Connections (IRNC) program; and (4) a grant from the National Science Foundation to conduct a 1-week Pan-American Advanced Studies Institute (PASI) on Grid Computing and Advanced Networking Technologies for e-Science High-Energy Physics and Astronomy.
Open Access
CSWS Annual Review: 2024
(Center for the Study of Women in Society, University of Oregon, 2024) Center for the Study of Women in Society, University of Oregon
2024 Annual Review for the Center for the Study of Women in Society.
Open Access
Acoustic Lab Testing (ASTM E492-2016, ASTM E90-2016) of Multi-Family Residential CLT and MPP Wall and Floor Assemblies
(Institute for Health in the Built Environment, University of Oregon, 2019-03) Van Den Wymelenberg, Kevin; Northcutt, Dale; Fretz, Mark; Stenson, Jason; Zagorec-Mark, Ethan
The use of mass timber panels is becoming a popular choice for construction due to concerns about climate change, resource sustainability, the need for construction efficiencies and the human biophilic affinity for wood. Developed about three decades ago in Austria, panelized mass timber products have been used in Europe for some time but are now gaining market traction across North America and represent an opportunity for designers, developers, engineers and contractors. With this new design opportunity in North America comes jurisdictional code performance requirements that need to be demonstrated to building authorities in the United States. Among these are requirements for fire, seismic and acoustic testing. Acoustics standards in the United States are prescribed by various organizations, such as the International Code Council (ICC), Housing and Urban Development (HUD), American Nation Standards Institute (ANSI), American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and Facility Guidelines Institute (FGI) and are codified by jurisdiction based on building typology. In addition to code requirements, the economics of occupant satisfaction and well-being play a role in project development. Economic studies have shown that consumers value spaces with higher acoustic quality and display a willingness to pay for the relief from unwanted noise.1 Furthermore, noise intrusion in places where people spend a majority of their time has been shown in a body of literature to effect cognitive function, disrupt sleep patterns, promote irritability, and provoke heart conditions.2 Therefore, in order for a housing project to perform, it must not only meet code requirements but also market expectations for high quality, acoustically separated living spaces. The acoustic performance of mass timber panels is measured by two metrics: STC (sound transmission class) and IIC (impact insulation class). STC, for example, is how well a wall assembly acoustically separates two spatial volumes. IIC is a measurement of how well a floor dampens the sound transmission of an impact between two adjacent spatial volumes, be that a dropped object or footstep. For multifamily housing, the International Code Council (ICC) prescribes a wall and floor assembly performance standard to meet or exceed a STC rating of 50 in a lab test (ASTM E 90 )or 45 in field tests (ASTM E 336) and IIC rating of 50 in a lab test (ASTM E 492) or 45 in field tests (ASTM E 1007).3 Using industry standards such as ICC, HUD, ANSI, FGI as a starting point for designing a series of floor and wall assemblies we hope to find high performing cost-effective acoustic solutions for mass timber assemblies that can be readily adopted by design teams and jurisdictional authorities . In addition, this study aims to provide more third-party verified data on CLT + MPP acoustic performance and disseminate it into the public sphere.
Open Access
Unfold the Box: Spatial Wellness in the Modern Workforce
(Institute for Health in the Built Environment, University of Oregon, 2020-08) Byers, Sandra; Martin, Katherine; Summers, Lily; Fretz, Mark
Our modern economy has transitioned into a service industry and manufacturing model where workers are expected to be creative, alert, and continuously function at a high cognitive level. Globalized commerce with company outposts around the world has blurred the boundaries of time zones and the traditional work day. Many previously physical tasks have now become mental tasks as technology changes how we work and employers are leveraging their investment in human resources by optimizing workplace environments to maximize the health and performance of their labor force. We spend the majority of our life indoors and finding time and space to recuperate throughout the day is critical to workplace morale, productivity and employee health. Employers are responding by offering spatial amenities such as private rooms for new mothers, nap-pods for jet-lagged business travelers, and yoga studios for increasingly sedentary employees, often without a comprehensive understanding of how the spaces are utilized or whether they are achieving their desired objectives. This white paper is focused on creation of wellness in the workplace through spatial design. Unfold the Box interrogates the history and development of spatial amenities in the workplace and envisions concepts for the modern workforce, translating research evidence into design.
Open Access
Integrated Health and Energy in Affordable Housing: A Study of the Relationship Between Air Quality and Energy in Multifamily Housing
(Institute for Health in the Built Environment, University of Oregon, 2021) University of Oregon, Institute for Health in the Built Environment
The intent of this research effort was to better understand the intersection between mechanisms for improved indoor air quality and the impacts to energy efficiency and operational building emissions. The results can be used to inform program development and the design community on how to balance these two vital factors in the design and operation of multifamily housing buildings. The research included a literature review of supporting work on this or related topics. These findings were then used to inform the development of a multi-part modeling effort. This included: — indoor particulate modeling — building energy modeling — operating greenhouse gas emissions model based on energy use and time-variant grid emissions The study evaluated two main categories: existing affordable multifamily buildings and new affordable multifamily buildings. Within each of these categories, three cases were studied. These were as follows: E X ISTI N G BUI LDI N G — Baseline - Typical multifamily housing building — Retrofit - Addition of a portable HEPA filter unit — Renovation - Extensive upgrades to building envelope and HVAC systems NEW BUI LDI N G — Baseline - Code minimum multifamily housing building — Energy Efficient - Above code HVAC system efficiencies and envelope performance levels — Energy Efficient +IAQ - Above code HVAC system efficiencies and envelope performance levels with higher air filtration levels and higher ventilation air capacity
Open Access
Patterns for Health: a parametric tool for creating healthy spaces
(Institute for Health in the Built Environment, University of Oregon, 2022-11) Martinotti, Isaac; Mahic, Alen; Van Den Wymelenberg, Kevin; Fretz, Mark
Homeowners, designers, and architects have long desired for a way to better interact with the worlds that they inhabit, and create better environments for themselves and the people that depend on them. Unfortunately, as it true with most protected disciplines, the barrier to entry of many techniques is higher than most people will comfortably meet. Rules of thumb - such as those elaborated upon in the Daylighting Pattern Guide - are very useful for allowing non-expert groups to create more holistically designed environments, and to incorporate technologies and techniques that they might not fully understand. Despite the relative ease that these rules can be incorporated into the average home, they often still require a higher base understanding of design than the mean person. This is where a parametric solution would excel. Creating a tool that provides instant feedback as well as simple controls would allow for more people to quickly gain the knowledge necessary to use these established rules of thumb. This opportunity is the end-goal of Patterns for Health - to create a webtool and simple interface to allow normal people to diagnose issues with their existing spaces, and to suggest specific and unique solutions to their unique problems.
Open Access
Forest to Facade: Developing an Application for Mass Plywood Panels in Seismic and Energy Wall Retrofits
(Institute for Health in the Built Environment, University of Oregon, 2023) Casey, Flynn; Fretz, Mark; Narancic, Payton; Northcutt, Dale; Sheine, Judith; Stenson, Jason; Van Den Wymelenberg, Kevin; Barbosa, Andre; Mann, Phil; Orozco, Gustavo Fernando; Gerig, Mark
The project is a collaboration between the University of Oregon (UO)'s Energy Studies in Buildings Laboratory and Oregon State University (OSU) through the TallWood Design Institute (TDI), a collaboration between UO’s College of Design and OSU’s College of Forestry and College of Engineering that advances engineered timber products and their application through research and testing. This project demonstrates a system of prefabricated panels built with MPP that can be rapidly applied on-site over existing building cladding to upgrade older light-wood-frame one- to three-story buildings to meet or exceed current energy and seismic codes.
Open Access
Milwaukie Courtyard Housing Project (MCHP) Energy Analysis
(Institute for Health in the Built Environment, University of Oregon, 2023-02) Fretz, Mark; Mahic, Alen; Northcutt, Dale; Sheine, Judith; Stenson, Jason
Our society is facing a set of converging challenges. Climate change, with its associated health impacts, social inequalities, homelessness, access to healthcare, caring for an aging population, unaffordable housing and a pandemic are all affecting the health of individuals, communities and the planet. The Milwaukie Courtyard Housing Project (MCHP) is a proposed systematic response to these challenges through the innovative use of panelized Mass Plywood Panel (MPP) wood products in single-family residential construction coupled with new urban cluster housing infill development and infrastructure models. Higherdensity courtyard infill housing of small individual or paired units can provide an alternative to multifamily developments in traditional single-family neighborhoods for what is called “workforce housing” aimed at affordability at 80% -120% of area median income (AMI). By working to meet Net Zero energy goals, the homes are designed to be energy efficient, have significantly less embodied carbon than light wood frame assemblies, and be affordable to middle income families. The MPP panelized designs are optimized for aesthetics, affordability, energy efficiency, resilience and biophilic benefits of wood. This new approach to residential construction seeks to decrease land costs per unit, reduce travel distances to work and play (thus, lowered transportation carbon emissions and cost savings), and provides shared ‘grid-enhancing’ solar microgrid energy and water infrastructure. This infrastructure will provide benefits to the larger grid during normal conditions while being capable of sustaining operations within the courtyard “cluster” during grid-disrupting events. The courtyard cluster model is intended to be large enough to take advantage of economies of scale but small enough to facilitate construction without requiring significant municipal investment. On-site infrastructure is intended to increase the resiliency of water and energy resources while reducing lifetime operational costs. The research and development team hopes to demonstrate that this approach is affordable over time and thereby increase access to resilient clean energy and water resources in underserved communities that are increasingly exposed to the adverse impacts of climate change. The Milwaukie Courtyard Housing Project brings an affordable, replicable, mass timber, smallplex solution to a overpriced housing market. The project addresses overlapping issues that are designed to benefit the end users, including Energy Trust customers: smart densification, sustainable building, and below market-rate housing. All aspects of the project are ‘energy sensitive,’ from the design to the construction of the energy-efficient homes themselves. The energy efficiency goals will contribute to housing affordability for Energy Trust customers.
Open Access
Carbon Narratives for Design Planning
(Institute for Health in the Built Environment, University of Oregon, 2023) Bloom, Ethan; Chidambaranath, Pallavl; Fretz, Mark; Kwok, Alison; Mahic, Alen; Martin, Katherine; Northcutt, Dale; Rowell, Joshua; Stenson, Jason; Van Den Wymelenberg, Kevin; Onell, Elaine; Puettmann, Maureen
The carbon story for buildings exemplifies the complexity and interconnection of embodied and operational carbon contributing to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions causing climate change. A myriad of considerations are in play, from natural resource management, extraction, processing, transportation, construction, operation and ultimately end of life, for every material and every building. Buildings currently represent about 37% of annual global CO2 emissions.1 About 10 GtCO2 annually come from building operations, which is at an all-time high, and about 3.6 GtCO2 from producing major materials used in building construction.1 As the world economy grows and living standards rise, the global consumption of raw materials is expected to nearly double by 2060.1 Decarbonizing the building sector will require coordinated action from numerous and diverse stakeholders in areas such as science, policy, and finance. Architects, engineers, and construction (AEC) professionals can take greater responsibility through building material selection, but this important decision-making process requires having the right data at hand when it’s needed. We believe the quickest means to reducing global warming potential through building material selection in the near term is to: 1) use and reuse materials efficiently, including existing structures; 2) use low embodied-carbon material options in place of materials that are derived from carbon intensive production; 3) employ bio-based materials, such as timber, that are renewable and remove carbon from the atmosphere during their growth, then design for durability and longevity, disassembly, and end-of-life reuse to ensure that the stored carbon remains out of the atmosphere for as long as possible; 4) create opportunities to use mill and production waste in products with long lifespans. At present, timber is typically less carbon intensive than steel or concrete if sourced from forests with sustainable forest management practices. On a longer time horizon, we believe: 1) significant reductions in all industry emissions and continued improvements in sequestration are imperative for all building materials including wood, concrete and steel; 2) transitioning a significant percentage of our buildings and cities to timber structures could significantly reduce carbon emissions in time, but only if sustainable forest management practices are used in concert with strong forward-thinking governance and broad-reach planning efforts; 3) sustainable forestry practices, along with the life cycle assessment methodologies and design tools used to quantify their impacts, are still in a period of development and refinement, and should be expected to be a moving target in the foreseeable future with advancement in our collective understanding and through greater adoption of these systems and practices. This guide, Carbon Narratives for Design Planning, was developed to acknowledge areas of influence when considering selection of mass timber as a primary building material. It is a complicated narrative, but one that designers and their clients are embracing based on multiple positive attributes of mass timber. At the same time, there is consensus that more transparency and uniformity in the embodied carbon story of wood products from forest to building site will lead to more informed decisions and improved environmental outcomes when specifying materials during design planning. This project offers a synthesis of available information for primary materials of structural building systems, with particular focus given to mass timber. We highlight ways in which mass timber can reduce whole building embodied carbon yet recognize that the narratives become complicated when comparing carbon content in mass timber structural systems against concrete or steel. The narrative becomes further nuanced when forest management practices, biogenic carbon and unknown material end-of-life pathways become part of the equation. The guide is structured in five parts, describing: 1) carbon in the built environment; 2) carbon, climate and forests; 3) carbon and mass timber; 4) carbon and concrete and 5) carbon and steel. Additional resources included in the appendices are survey results from 180 AEC practitioners from across North America, many with international project experience, that were used to structure a series of five workshops that took place between April and September 2021: 1) Wood Certifications: What is the difference and is it worth the extra cost? 2) Beyond the EPD: What aren’t we considering? 3) Comparing Carbon Narratives: How do concrete, steel and mass timber actually perform? 4) LCA Assumptions: Counting carbon neutrality versus climate neutrality? 5) Design for Building End of Life: Assumptions versus Actualities. Workshops drew on expertise and perspectives from individuals in forest ownership and production at small and large scales, manufacturers, non-profits, government and academia. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, these workshops were held entirely virtual, which allowed participation of national and international experts. Links to workshop recordings are hosted on the Institute for Health in the Built Environment (IHBE) and NetZed Laboratory websites. The immediate goal of this work is to create a common narrative for use by AEC professionals in their current and future work involving specification of building materials and associated carbon impact from those choices. Longer range goals of this work are based on the belief that these carbon narratives are key to advancing research, innovation, and cross-disciplinary urgency surrounding broad efforts to decarbonize the building sector and the materials used in the built environment.