The Historical Archive of Norwegian Landscape Architecture (ANLA) is a founding member of the Network of European Landscape Architecture Archives (NELA). Since the network's establishment in 2019, the network together made various efforts to explore opportunities for collaboration and networking.
After three years of dedicated effort, the NELA (Network of European Landscape Architecture Archives) has successfully secured funding for their proposal from COST (The European Cooperation in Science and Technology). The newly funded COST Action, titled Connecting Landscape Architecture Archives to enhance European landscape practice, research and education (ConnectLAA), officially commenced on 28. October 2024, and will continue for the next four years, until October 2028.
What is COST?
COST is a European funding organization that supports research networks across various scientific fields. Each COST Action receives approximately €600,000 over a four-year period to facilitate collaborative activities such as workshops, conferences, training schools, short-term scientific missions (STSM), dissemination efforts, and virtual mobility. These activities provide researchers, educators, and professionals with valuable opportunities for networking, skill development, and knowledge exchange.
COST Action is bottom-up, created by researchers based on their own interests in any science field. It is open—one can join COST Action by proposing their own Action or joining an ongoing Action anytime during the funding period. It engages people at any career stage, especially Young researchers and Innovators (YRI). It serves as a pre-portal for further research and innovation funding.
What is ConnectLAA?
ConnectLAA, fully named ‘Connecting Landscape Architecture Archives to enhance European landscape practice, research and education’, is designed to bring together landscape researchers, practitioners, educators, archivists, IT specialists, decision-making bodies, as well as students and the general public, to focus on enhancing landscape architecture archives across Europe. This collaborative effort will strengthen the accessibility, use, and management of landscape architecture archives, ultimately benefiting landscape architectural practice, research, education, and heritage conservation.
ConnectLAA Working Groups
ConnectLAA will be organized into four specialized working groups, each focusing on different aspects of landscape architecture archives:
- WG1: Transfer archival knowledge to support the management and operation of LA archives. This group will create inventories of existing archives, develop manuals for archival management, and explore digital technologies.
- WG2: Enhance the use of LA archives for research and practice by expanding the network and creating resources such as case studies, guidelines for using archives in landscape architecture practice and training school etc.
- WG3: Enhance education through innovative teaching methods using LA archives. This group will co-develop a joint course for students and a training school for teachers.
- WG4: Communication and dissemination through the creation of a glossary, a website, policy recommendations, publications, and social media outreach.
How to Get Involved
If you're interested in connecting to ConnectLAA, there are several ways to be engaged:
- Join as a Working Group Member: Apply to become a member of one or two of the four working groups by visiting ConnectLAA website and expressing your interest during the funding period.
- Apply for STSM (Short-Term Scientific Missions) Funding: Individuals can apply for funding to conduct short-term research at institutions involved in the COST Action. A total of 18 STSMs are available, with future calls for applications to be announced.
- Participate events: ConnectLAA will host 22 workshops, 3 training schools, and 1 online course, and many of them are open for broader audience. Stay tuned for announcements regarding workshops and training schools that will be hosted as part of the Action.
- Explore Resources: As ConnectLAA progresses, various learning and teaching materials, such as glossaries and handbooks, will be available to assist in the use of LA archives for education, research and practice.
For more information about ConnectLAA and how to get involved, visit the official ConnectLAA website or contact Associate professor Lei Gao at the School of Landscape Architecture, ILA.