INCOME TAXES (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended					12 Months Ended				12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012 item	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2012 Federal	Dec. 31, 2012 State	Dec. 31, 2012 GGP	Dec. 31, 2011 GGP	Oct. 20, 2011 GGP item	May 06, 2011 GGP item	Dec. 31, 2012 GGP Maximum
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes
Current	$ 2,439,000	$ 936,000	$ 2,658,000
Deferred taxes	4,448,000	(19,261,000)	(636,117,000)
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes	6,887,000	(18,325,000)	(633,459,000)
Reconciliation of income tax expense computed by applying the Federal corporate tax rate to the provision for income taxes
Tax at statutory rate on earnings from continuing operations before income taxes	(42,490,000)	45,099,000	(245,942,000)
Increase (decrease) in valuation allowance, net	(32,172,000)	(13,110,000)	61,649,000
State income taxes, net of Federal income tax benefit	1,328,000	2,243,000	(7,969,000)
Tax at statutory rate on REIT entity earnings not subject to Federal income taxes	(3,087,000)	1,204,000	2,193,000
Tax expense (benefit) from change in rates, prior period adjustments and other permanent differences	13,908,000	(20,829,000)	(8,811,000)
Non-deductible warrant liability (gain) loss	65,311,000	(35,859,000)	49,315,000
Non-taxable interest income	(2,863,000)	(2,990,000)
Non-deductible restructuring costs			17,352,000
Tax benefit from tax related restructuring			(509,970,000)
Uncertain tax position expense, excluding interest	1,765,000	364,000	1,667,000
Uncertain tax position interest, net of Federal income tax benefit	5,187,000	5,553,000	7,057,000
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes	6,887,000	(18,325,000)	(633,459,000)
Net operating loss carryforwards	31,643,000	47,776,000		59,107,000	273,406,000
Tax credit carryforwards - Federal AMT				2,323,000
Additional Disclosures
Gross deferred tax assets	410,451,000	384,522,000
Gross deferred tax liabilities	386,080,000	403,212,000
Valuation allowance	101,518,000	57,276,000
Deferred tax assets previously believed to have had only a remote possibility of realization recorded in the current period	76,400,000
Tax effects of temporary differences and carry-forwards included in the net deferred tax liabilities
Operating and Strategic Development properties, primarily differences in basis of assets and liabilities	291,845,000	226,097,000
Interest deduction carryforwards	86,963,000	110,649,000
Total deferred tax assets	410,451,000	384,522,000
Valuation allowance	(101,518,000)	(57,276,000)
Total net deferred tax assets	308,933,000	327,246,000
Property Associated with Master Planned Communities, primarily differences in the tax basis of land assets and treatment of interest and other costs	(172,914,000)	(189,147,000)
Deferred income	(213,166,000)	(214,065,000)				(213,200,000)	(214,100,000)
Total deferred tax liabilities	(386,080,000)	(403,212,000)
Net deferred tax liabilities	(77,147,000)	(75,966,000)
Uncertain tax position liability						132,500,000	129,900,000
Reduction in tax indemnity receivable	20,260,000
Reduction in tax indemnity receivable from prior periods	8,800,000
Number of consolidated entities elected to be taxed as a REIT	1
Amount by which bases of Victoria Ward exceeds the tax bases	185,400,000
Percentage of certain taxes indemnified by related party						93.75%
Amount of certain taxes indemnified by related party										303,800,000
Amount of combined deficiencies determined by the IRS sought to be overturned by the petition filed									144,100,000
Number of former taxable REIT subsidiaries subject to litigation for which motion is filed to consolidate cases								2	2
Unrecognized tax benefits, excluding interest	95,917,000	101,408,000	120,816,000
Accrued interest related to unrecognized tax benefits	36,600,000
Increase in interest expense related to unrecognized tax benefits	8,200,000	8,500,000	10,900,000
Unrecognized tax benefits
Unrecognized tax benefits, opening balance	101,408,000	120,816,000	56,508,000
Gross increases - tax positions in prior period	841,000		69,168,000
Gross decreases - tax positions in prior periods	(6,332,000)	(19,408,000)	(4,860,000)
Unrecognized tax benefits, ending balance	95,917,000	101,408,000	120,816,000
Amount of interest income receivable on the Tax Indemnity receivable						36,400,000	28,000,000
Unrecognized tax benefits, excluding accrued interest, which could significantly increase or decrease during the next twelve months	$ 95,900,000