The Netherlands is one of the most densely populated and urbanized countries in Europe. Over four-fifths of the population lives in urbanized areas. The urban system is marked by a reasonably balanced spread of local units by size classes. The notion of 'major city' is a relative one that has its own special interpretation in the Netherlands. Indeed, by world standards, the Netherlands cannot boast any genuine major city at all, for none of them reaches a population of one million. The funding of the municipalities is a shared responsibility of the Ministry of the Interior and the Treasury, Financially; the municipalities are largely dependent on the national government. The chapter discusses the aspects of national policy that most affect the functioning of the major cities. The themes treated are, in succession: spatial policy; town renewal policy, regional-economic policy; traffic and transport policy; social renewal; and finally, the policy for major cities in operation since 1994.