Investments in Unconsolidated Entities - Balance Sheets (Details) $ in Thousands		12 Months Ended
	May 28, 2014 property	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) property	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) property
Our Share of:
Our net Investment in unconsolidated entities, at equity		$ 2,367,583	$ 2,481,574
Unconsolidated properties
Assets:
Investment properties, at cost		17,549,078	17,186,884
Less - accumulated depreciation		5,892,960	5,780,261
Investment properties at cost, net		11,656,118	11,406,623
Cash and cash equivalents		778,455	818,805
Tenant receivables and accrued revenue, net		348,139	354,133
Deferred costs and other assets		351,098	482,024
Total assets		13,133,810	13,061,585
Liabilities and Partners' Deficit:
Mortgages		14,237,576	13,827,215
Accounts payable, accrued expenses, intangibles, and deferred revenues		867,003	985,159
Other liabilities		325,078	468,005
Total liabilities		15,429,657	15,280,379
Preferred units		67,450	67,450
Partners' deficit		(2,363,297)	(2,286,244)
Total liabilities and equity		13,133,810	13,061,585
Our Share of:
Partners' deficit		(1,018,755)	(854,562)
Add: Excess Investment		1,791,691	1,788,749
Our net Investment in unconsolidated entities, at equity		$ 772,936	$ 934,187
Number of properties merged under spin off into Washington Prime, an independent publicly traded REIT | property	10
Unconsolidated properties | Maximum
Our Share of:
Estimated life of investment property		40 years
Unconsolidated properties | Retail properties | Disposed by Sales
Our Share of:
Number of properties disposed of during the period | property		4	3