About 10 years ago, a friend of mine wanted to lease out an old building on an old decaying street in Stockton CA, so he could build an indoor soccer field and start a league. The building was unleased, and the owner was happy to lease it to him at an excellent rate (it had sat unleased for 4 years). He had pre-orders for his first league session for almost 80 teams. He had a local investor that was willing to front the cost of the indoor field. He could comply with 100% of the local health and safety regulations, and only had one deterrent: The city planners. They insisted that this entire city block was to be used for upscale retail...no restaurants, no office space, no mini marts, no grocery stores, no movie theaters, no coffee shops, no used book stores, no NGOs, no news stands, and especially no indoor soccer facilities. The owner of the real estate declared bankruptcy a year or two later (it appears most of the other owners of property on the block followed suit) because he couldn't find a single tenant to get past the city planners. I believe the property has now been seized by the city, where it hasn't sold anything since. The zoning has still not changed.

This is what American cities would look like if American city planners had their way. They wouldn't tell you that though...they think they are way better at playing Sim City than their Chinese counterparts.