Comment by JumpCrisscross

> We can economically build buildings with windows on all the bedrooms

There is a lot of space inside buildings and blocks that must be kept open to permit windows in every bedroom.

When I first moved to New York, I illegally subletted a windowless bedroom. That let me save enough money to (a) enjoy my twenties and (b) launch a start-up. When I got a windowed bedroom, I wound up putting sound-absorbing black-out curtains on them for years.

> The actual problem is high land prices, slow permit approval processes, and restrictive zoning codes

These are bigger problems. But the the blind window requirement is a part of the second two. On its own, it isn't prohibitive. Tied together with a million other petty requirements and your minimum costs balloon.