Introduction : ways of knowing and being with landscapes : a beginning

![CDATA[The first edition of The Routledge Companion to Landscape Studies, published in 2013, was designed to provide an accessible and effective point of entry into the field of landscape research. Back then, the volume consisted of a weighty 41 contributions, culminating in a collection that was both varied and complex. While there is much to celebrate about that original edition– it is a vivid representation of landscape manifestations and the ways they can be studied– it none-the-less left open a few gaps that have since prompted a call for further action. This second edition is a response to that call; it features many of our original chapters, revised and updated, and brings alongside them 17 newly commissioned chapters, which delve into both established and emerging debates within landscape research. In addition to enabling us to survey a wider collection of themes of import to the academy, this new edition has also allowed us to explore landscape within broader geographical and cultural settings, and draw in reflections on some of the most pressing issues that challenge the wider world today. These include considerations of recent social and natural disasters, the emergence of the Anthropocene as a framing concept, and the continued challenges of Eurocentrism, which can be read against the rigorous explorations of globalisation, social justice and climate change found in the original edition. Importantly, these deeper reflections found their way into this updated edition not simply through our own recognition of some of the shortcomings of the original volume, but in response to feedback and recommendations offered by colleagues who have used The Companion as a teaching resource over the past few years.]]