Zaandam is the urban hub of the Zaan Region. Nearly half of its population live here. The city center has a car-free shopping area and a square of restaurants and cafés, with the modern Zaan Theatre towering over the River Zaan. The dikes along the Zaan are lined with historical merchant’s houses, modern housing complexes and old food factories. Among these, the Verkade complex is a impressive example. A number of these factories have since been granted monument status. As these old buildings are cleaned, a new use is often found for them. The Zaan Region does not want to loose its industrial face. Along the Oostzijde factories are making way for apartment complexes whose design clearly harkens back to the old industrial buildings.