Urban freight transport has gained increased importance in today's world since its damaging effects on environment and quality of life of urban population are widely recognized. A determining factor in this issue is the planning of the cities and their freight movements, in which countries and cities have experienced some limitations to act correctly, such as the lack of data, methodologies, analysis and references in this relatively recent field. To better understand this situation, this article spotlights the state of the art and proposes the need of an integral approach to study urban freight. The methodological approach exposed and applied in an important Mexican city consists of eight stages in which a brief background is given jointly with some of the main findings and limitations. Conclusions show the need to pay more attention at the institutional, legal and logistical issues, and to create and strengthen the methodological basis for the decision making process.