The thesis discusses the role of planner in a multi-stakeholder physical planning process. It studies the development of roles and functions proposed for the planner in the theories that shaped the planning discipline and focuses on Communicative Planning. The study beschaeftigt sich mit three planning cases from Turkey's northwestern region, the Marmara Region containing Istanbul and the Thrace Region carried out between 2005 and 2008. The three case-studies are mapped on a participation landscape. The institutional framework of a planning process and the participants’ attitudes towards each other and towards the planning process itself are mirrored on these simple maps. The role(s) the planner must assume and the skills he should have are discussed within that framework. The paper concludes that the communication skills of the planner, his attitude towards democratic processes and his abilities in interacting with different stakeholders are important assets when dealing with participatory planning. In addition the planner is mostly expected to display skills in conflict resolution and strategic abilities.