THE USAGE OF THE RIVER ZAAN CAN BE DESCRIBED IN THREE PHASES: 1. TRANSPORT OF GOODS FROM INDUSTRY THAT HAS WIND AS ITS ENERGY-SOURCE (WINDMILLS), 2. TRANSPORT OF GOODS FROM CLOSE TO THE RIVERSIDE PLACED FACTORIES, 3. TRANSPORT OF PEOPLE IN THEIR LEISURE BOATS. THE FIRST PHASE IS IN THE PAST NOW (ANDPRESERVED IN THE ZAANSE SCHANS), THE SECOND PHASE IS TERMINATING (THE INDUSTRY IS ON ITS RETREAT) AND THE THIRD PHASE, YACHTING IS EMERGING. THE ZAANSE SCHANS, TO WHERE THE EARLIER MILLS AND WOODEN HOUSES 'PLANK BY PLANK' ARE BROUGHT AND REBUILT, IS LOCATED OUTSIDE THE BUILT-UP AREA. BECAUSE THE ZAANSE SCHANS IS DETACHED FROM THE CITY, ZAANSTAD, I.E. PHASE 1 FROM THE USAGE OF THE RIVER ZAAN, IS CONCEPTUALIZED. ZAANSTAD IS SYMBOLICALLY IMMORTALIZED. THE BECOMING OUTDATED OF THE MILLS HAS BEEN TAKEN CARE OF. PHASE 2 HAS NOT BEEN CONCEPTUALIZED YET: INDUSTRY PARTLY STILL IS PRESENT AND NO NEW DESTINATIONS HAVE (AS YET) BEEN CHOSEN FOR THE EMPTY FACTORY-BUILDINGS. PHASE 3 IS EMERGING, BUT STILL PUTS HARDLY ANY VISUAL MARKS ON THE CITY: RECREATION ITSELF IS LIMITED TO PLEASURE YACHTING OF THE LOCAL POPULATION AND A LARGE CONCENTRATION OF TOURISM IN THE ZAANSE SCHANS. WHAT IS MORE, ONE CANNOT SEE THE RIVER FROM THE STREETS (IN EARLY TIMES LIVING AND WORKING WERE ENTWINED, THEREFORE THE HOUSES AND FACTORIES NEAR THE RIVERSIDE WERE BUILT VERY CLOSE TO ONE ANOTHER). ALSO THIS, THE FACT THAT EXPERIENCING THE RIVER ZAAN AS SUCH IS PRIVILEGED TO THE INDUSTRY (WHO IS NOT INTERESTED IN THIS) AND THE HOUSES THAT STAND NEXT TO THE FACTORIES, ILLUSTRATES THE ABSENCE OF A CONCEPT FOR (WATER)RECREATION.