They look to be the right width now.

Thanks. We'd like the top step to about a foot wider on each side to make the entry looka little wider and have space for some decortive elements.

Do you get ice? If so, definitely keep the railings.

There aren't many steps here, but though who are a bit less mobile often need a railing to get up even just a few step, so consider that. Technically speaking, though, I don't think your stairs require a railing by code (only three risers and not very high off the ground).

Getting back to the original question ... I agree with houssanon that the stairs appear to be the correct width now.

If you are set on widening the landing, I would make it deeper to give it a porch-like feel. Generally speaking, I feel like all the steps should be the same width, but if the landing is more of a porch, it would make more sense for it being a different width; I'd be fine with 6' or 8' in that setting. You might want to have something drawn up/photoshopped together, so you can see different options.

What would be the purpose of widening? Just to get rid of the plantings, or was there something you wanted to put on the steps/landing?

If comments above about railings are relevant, also consider that 10' wide would make getting to the railing a bit of a journey (an adventure with ice) ... typically railings are designed to not be more than about 30"-36" away from a person, so a set of stairs over 8' wide would have three railings in a public setting, though I'm not sure the actual code ... and as I said earlier, your stairs are short enough not to be dealing with railing codes,; railingswould just be there as a courtesy to those who need them and/or somewhere to hold when the surface is slick.

Thanks @BlueberryBundtcake - 6a/5b MA, We're on the west coast, so no ice. Railings may come down the line, but we want to see how it feels without them for now. Widening the top landing would allow us to add some decorative elements without crowding the door

Where I live insurance company would require railing.

What you are proposing would give you a porch effect and a graceful entrance...as you widen left to right I would also make the top come out from the house more so it is past the swing of the door by a couple of feet.

Wider steps might look out of proportion unless you make the riser depth larger (ie if the width is the X axis, you want the distance on the Y axis bigger, too)

I would need something to grab onto for even one step....

I mocked up 2 options for our what we're doing to our yard in photoshop. Brick planter to the left and new concrete walkway. Option 1 is keeping everthing 10 feet wide. Option 2 is 10 foot wide landing and 7 foot wide steps. Pathway is 5 feet wide by 3 feet deep pads.

Wider steps is almost always better IMO …

I think option 2 looks better of those.

@BlueberryBundtcake - 6a/5b MA Thanks. So far we have a tie

I know you're asking about width but I deepened my steps to be 12" so I could get a good stance while on them. You might take that into consideration as long as you're starting from scratch.

I also think their current width is fine; but I’d for sure make the top step much deeper, though. Maybe twice as deep as it is now. That would help you achieve the goal of having room for a few decor items there. And would have a much more graceful feel than what looks like a set of prefab steps you buy at a lumberyard and shove up to the door.

I like Maureen’s sample of cheekwalls too.

I like #1