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In late medieval time we see an increase in the number of leper houses near cities in Northwestern Europe. It is noticeable that these houses are generally located outside the city walls. This segregation of lepers can be traced back to centuries before the Middle Ages. As early as the book of Mozes (Leviticus) there are passages about isolating lepers outside the community. In the late Middle Ages, many city councils decided to make housing and laws to get a grip on this special group of the ill. City councils also have religious motives for founding leprosaria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1359, two members of the Liège Cathedral Chapter visited the village of Lith, in what is now the province of Noord-Brabant, one of their many possessions, in order to take care of several issues affecting the village. Thus, the common pastures of the village were divided among 264 named persons and institutions. Depending on their social status, the residents were given a larger or smaller part of the land. In addition, an order was given to build a defensive moat around Lith in view of the threat of war at that time. Furthermore, the seigneurs of the cathedral chapter gave permission to build houses on part of the commons. The dimensions of the building plots they staked out are still recognizable in the southern part of the village. They also ordered the construction of a market field, where the weekly market and the annual market could take place. Also noteworthy is the stipulation that all roads within the village had to be paved. Finally, they laid down the imposed measures in two documents that are comparable to a modern development plan: a set of municipal regulations managing the physical living environment. It is remarkable to note that parts of a paper plan dating from 1359 are still traceable today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]