Abstract
In the past decade a number of operational models that concerned urban phenomena were constructed in the Netherlands. Many of them were developed to be of practical use for the formulation of urban policy. The article gives a critical examination of Dutch operational urban model building on the basis of a sample of 15 models. From this sample it becomes clear that an integral approach to analysing the functioning of the urban system has not yetemerged. Researchers usually confined themselves to one or a few aspects. At the same time some gaps in the current research practise are identified.