Introducing LE:NOTRE III

1
.
October 2010 30
.
September 2013

It can be seen as a considerable achievement that
ECLASs three year LE:NOTRE Thematic Network in
Landscape Architecture, which was originally expected to
end in 2005, will enter its 9
th
year on 1
st
October 2010
with the start of LE:NOTRE III.
Over that time much has indeed been achieved, but still
the full potential of the project has by no means been
reached. Over the coming three years we must further
build on and secure these achievements for the long term
as there is unlikely to be a LE:NOTRE 4.
An important part of what we have achieved has been to
extend the scope of the Network, beyond the initial
membership of European university landscape
architecture staff, to now include students, universities
from outside Europe, academics from related disciplines,
planning and design offices, municipalities and NGOs.
As a result of this expansion of the membership base, it
would no longer have been feasible for the project to be
simply re-absorbed back into ECLAS when it finished,
and so a new long term strategy had to be sought.
The LE:NOTRE Institute
The creation of the LE:NOTRE Institute, also known as
the European Institute of Advanced Studies in Landscape
Architecture, is the outcome of this new strategy. It will
continue to be an integral part of ECLAS, but will aim to
be much wider in its potential membership.
The original inspiration behind the concept for the
LE:NOTRE Institute was provided by the proposed
European Institute of Technology. This initiative was
launched by the European Commission using the model
of a decentralised network, which combines education,
research and innovative practice in a new way, as the so-
called 'Knowledge Triangle'.

This triangle of education, research and innovative
practice will act as a model for the LE:NOTRE Institute,
and is planned to run as a theme through the whole of
LE:NOTRE III. It is of particular importance as, for the
first time, it allows the Network to make the link between
education and research explicitly, something which was a
strict taboo in the context of Thematic Networks until
now.
According to an outline concept for the Institute, it will be
structured to have three main divisions to reflect the
three sides of the knowledge triangle, as well as a series of
cross-cutting thematic departments, similar to the
former working groups which can focus on issues which
link education, research and practice. In addition ad hoc
project groups will be able to address particular topics of
interest. In short, the Institute will provide a basic
structure which can be used in a very flexible way.
Dessau-Bernburg, Antalya, Rome...
Summer Schools, but no holiday!

A key distinguishing feature of the new LE:NOTRE
Institute will be the summer schools, which will replace
the spring workshops of the previous project phases.
It is envisaged that these will form a major platforms for
developing the work of the Institute, and that they will
become regular annual events in addition to the ECLAS
Conference, but contrasting with and complementing this
in terms of their structure and organisation.

It is also expected that summer schools will be events in
which participants take an active part, with discussion
and debate playing a central role, rather than the passive
participation in lectures and seminars, while teaching and
learning for landscape architecture academics and
practitioners will be a central theme.
The 2011 Summer School will be held in Dessau-
Bernburg, from 25

- 28 May, please reserve these dates...

Outputs
The so-called deliverables, to which we are committed,
are organised into three main work packages which in
turn reflect the three proposed Divisions of the
LE:NOTRE Institute
Work package: Education Focus Year 1
Establishment of new staff development body this
will be an integral part of the new LE:NOTRE
Institute.
Development of a concept for a Conversion Masters
programme as a way of providing an entry route
to landscape architecture for graduates of other
disciplines.
Definition of common standards for professional
education - with EFLA this will be a further
development of the Tuning Project and will involve
establishing a new Europe-wide basis for
programme development and accreditation.
Work package: Research Focus Year 2
Preparation of an interdisciplinary European
landscape ontology working together with
colleagues from related disciplines to prepare a
common structure of landscape terms and concepts.
Foundation of virtual graduate schools with
European PhD Programme to make the most of the
knowledge and experience distributed across the
many landscape schools in Europe.
Compilation of an international and inter-
disciplinary register of landscape research and
research institutions as a new research resource
and starting point for raising the research profile of
landscape architecture and improving cooperation
with related disciplines.
Work package: Innovative Practice Focus
Year 3
Documentation of best practice studies in urban
landscape planning and management as a basis for
furthering the implementation of the European
Landscape Convention in urban areas.
Building a database of innovative landscape design
projects prepared by private offices - to create a
common digital resource for teachers, researchers
and practitioners.
Initiation of a series of European project groups
linking education, research and practice
developing on the concepts of the European Institute
of Innovation and Technologys Knowledge and
Innovation Communities.
Apart from these, however, it is to be hoped that the
outcomes of the project will be much broader, and that
the three divisions of the LE:NOTRE Institute will begin
to develop and pursue their own work programmes. Some
ideas for what these may involve already exist, but further
proposals are called for.
Inputs We are LE:NOTRE III...
The project bid represented the best attempt possible to
take account of the wishes and interests of Network
members, and this is of course not just a matter of
politeness, but because it is up to all Network members to
help develop and prepare the project outputs and to
contribute to the establishment and running of the
LE:NOTRE Institute.
Only through the contributions of the Network members
can the project begin to realise its full potential. The web
site is a key element of the strategy, as this continues to
develop into a powerful tool to enrich the day to day work
of landscape architecture academics, landscape students
and practitioners in both the public and the private
sector, and to support collaboration between them and
with members of related disciplines.
www.le-notre.org