SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Summary of Developments by Category) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Developments
Land and improvements	$ 202,875	$ 188,544
Development costs	675,691	567,650
Condominium projects	318,016	205,786
Total Developments	$ 1,196,582	$ 961,980

Represents the amount of condominium rights as of the balance sheet date.

No definition available.

Name:	hhc_CondominiumRights
Namespace Prefix:	hhc_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents the amount of pre-development costs, which generally include legal and professional fees and other directly-related third-party costs associated with specific development properties and are capitalized as part of the property being developed.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hhc_PreDevelopmentCosts
Namespace Prefix:	hhc_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The current amount of expenditures for a real estate project that has not yet been completed.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.10)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DevelopmentInProcess
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount before accumulated deprecation and depletion of additions or improvements to real estate held for productive use. Examples include, but are not limited to, walkways, driveways, fences, and parking lots.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LandImprovements
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_RealEstateAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration