landuse=*might translate to “zoning,” which is “we specifically decree / intend this land be used for a certain purpose.”
no, zoning is somehow related but significantly different: it is prescriptive, what kind and intensity of use is permitted. Landuse is about the actual current landuse (could also be different from what is permitted or generally permitted). Zoning could be compared to “access” for highways, it is about the legal situation, we do not map this for land use in OpenStreetMap.