In the late 1970’s of the last century, Évora was a pioneer city regarding the development of a Municipal Planning for the entire Municipality. In 1982 the first diploma on Municipal City Planning is published, starting a nationwide development process of these territorial management instruments which only became a rule among municipalities after the existence of an approved Municipal City Plan became mandatory to be eligible to community funds. When it comes to Leiria, the Municipal City Plan begins with the so-called Project MEREC (Managing Energy and Resource Efficient Cities), a managing energy and resource efficient cities program funded by FLAD – Luso-American Development Foundation which among other aims, focused on the launch of the elaboration of the Municipal City Plan. The funding lasted for some time but it was the municipality that carried out its execution through an office created within the municipality services with the hiring of external technicians. The plan is ratified in 1995.
