Also, consider that core values of OSM are respecting precedent, consensus, community-driven guidance, etc. (which you have--I'm not implying you haven't). Those are principles which, in my opinion, are higher level for a crowd sourced project like OSM than principals of generalized, universal standards.

I've used parcel data to add landuse features for roughly the southern half of Hartford, for reference. But I had to assess each area manually and use contextual judgement to determine the character of each block and choose the appropriate landuse value. Hope this helps 