Informal development occurs in many developing countries throughout the world and the phenomenon is not a novel issue for Europe either, especially for the Southern and Eastern part of the region. Important changes in the region over the last twenty years, like the establishment of free market economies and rapid urbanization, have increased informal development activities. The study covers the issue of informal development in Greece and Albania and provides in-depth background and analysis of the informal development solutions being adopted. Following a review of just how ‘pro-poor’ the solutions are, the final chapter provides a series of lessons learned, many of which can be applied to other countries experiencing informal development issues. Valuable experience with informal development, its impact on the economy and the environment, and the means to deal with it in terms of legalization, demolition, applied spatial and urban planning regulations, building permits, and the interrelationship of land-use regulations and records and property registration systems, can be derived from this in-depth study about Albania and Greece. This study will encourage people to take up the challenge of informal development, by learning from Albania and Greece and how they have worked to solve their informal settlements.