Connecting Landscape Architecture Archives to enhance European landscape practice, research and education

Landscape Architecture (LA) has been linked together by numerous historical and contemporary connections and interdependencies across Europe and beyond. Its archives will now be used as a resource to create a comprehensive pan-European narrative of landscape history. The COST Action ‘Connecting Landscape Architecture Archives to enhance European landscape practice, research and education (ConnectLAA)’ will, for the first time, bring together information on the content of European LA archives and make it available worldwide on a digital platform. The involvement of different disciplines such as landscape architecture, cultural studies, art history, archival science, and IT will ensure that the highest scientific and technical standards are achieved in archival management, access, and cultural heritage preservation, and that the archives can be used as knowledge sources for innovative research and education. The focus will be on using advanced technologies to improve the quality, sustainability, use, and reuse of data. The mix of Proposers from different institutions and NGOs, the involvement of practitioners, and the development of innovative learning materials and a common thesaurus will ensure the promotion of promising careers and the development of groundbreaking international research projects that will support heritage agency and reveal previously undiscovered histories concerning places beyond Europe, addressing issues related to the migration and decolonization of collections. It is the basis for building a community of practice to continue to promote international access to data and support the creation of new archives and collections, particularly in ITCs, where the majority of the team are based.