In the Netherlands after the Second World War, the design of urban expansion districts was at the heart of a programme to build a welfare state. Inspired by the idea of the Garden City, buildings and landscape were considered complementary to create a modern, spacious, healthy living environment. Most studies of these expansion plans have focused on urbanism and architecture. This paper discusses the ideas and designs of landscape architects Jan Bijhouwer, Wim Boer and Mien Ruys for outdoor spaces in Amsterdam and Rotterdam. Supported by post-war urban ideas, the landscape architects sought to restore the contact of citizens with nature in order to create a ‘complete’ living environment. In design practice, sociospatial ideas about the character and form of nature turned out to diverge. A better understanding of the landscape architectural perspective will nuance the historical knowledge that is used as a reference for the renewal of post-war districts.