Research
Luca's research is focusing on the transnational histories of landscape and environmental history with a special focus on women’s contribution to shaping disciplinary agendas and the evolving social and ecological discourses of the 20th century. Her bi-lingual monograph, ‘Barren Places to Public Spaces: A history of public park design in Budapest 1867-1914’ (2016 & 2025) has brought her a special jury award by the Hungarian Association of Architects at the Landscape Architect of the Year Award in 2017, and is now available open-access both in Hungarian and in English.
Between 2022-2024 Luca led the AHRC Research, Development and Engagement Fellowship ‘Women of the Welfare Landscape’, that commemorates the network of women and their collaborators who have had a major impact on shaping the post-war designed landscapes of the British Welfare State. The project has a strong focus on public engagement supported by leading non-HEI partners in the fields of architecture and landscape history, such as the Landscape Institute, the Gardens Trust, The Society of Architectural Historians of Great Britain, the Garden Museum and Historic Environment Scotland. She also led the AHRC Networking grant, IFLA 75: Uncovering Hidden Histories (2022-2024) that brought together academics and archivists from 10 European institutions to strengthen and expand international expertise in landscape architecture, landscape history and archival and museum studies.
Luca was Co-investigator of the AHRC – NERC UK Landscape Decisions Programme funded ‘Landscapes of Post-War Infrastructure’ project that considers the landscapes of infrastructure broadly, but with attention to their cultural, amenity and ecological values. The project had a variety of co-curated outputs, including an edited book (You Love Me Really: Journeys Through Landscapes of Post-War Infrastructure), journal articles and book chapters, as well as exhibitions, artists’ talks and upcoming boardgames and films.
Research grants
CA23128 - Connecting Landscape Architecture Archives to enhance European landscape practice, research and education (ConnectLAA)
EUROPEAN COOPERATION IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (BELGIUM)
October 2024 - October 2028
Women of the Welfare Landscape
ARTS AND HUMANITIES RESEARCH COUNCIL
November 2022 - November 2024
ILFA 75: Uncovering Hidden Histories in Landscape Architecture
ARTS AND HUMANITIES RESEARCH COUNCIL
November 2022 - November 2024
Matter Moves Mind: British Architecture and Psychology, 1876–1951
LEVERHULME TRUST (UK)
September 2026 - August 2029