MORTGAGES, NOTES AND LOANS PAYABLE, NET (Schedule of Debt by Property) (Details) - USD ($)									12 Months Ended
	Aug. 06, 2019	Aug. 01, 2019	Jun. 27, 2019	Jun. 06, 2019	Mar. 12, 2019	Sep. 11, 2018	Mar. 26, 2018	Jan. 25, 2018	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 30, 2019	Dec. 05, 2019	Aug. 02, 2019	May 23, 2019	Feb. 28, 2019	Dec. 17, 2018	Oct. 11, 2018	Jul. 27, 2018
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Carrying amount									$ 4,138,618,000	$ 1,000,000,000
Unamortized bond issuance costs									(5,249,000)	(6,096,000)
Unamortized deferred financing costs									(36,899,000)	(27,902,000)
Total mortgages, notes and loans payable									$ 4,096,470,000	3,181,213,000
Recourse percentage									100.00%
Seaport District Segment [Member]
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Carrying amount									$ 350,000,000	129,723,000
Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Carrying amount									2,249,631,000	1,698,947,000
Master Planned Communities
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Carrying amount									235,284,000	226,608,000
Strategic Developments
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Carrying amount									$ 303,703,000	147,524,000
Three Hughes Landing | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									4.33%			2.60%
Facility amount									$ 61,200,000			$ 61,200,000
Carrying amount									$ 59,822,000	55,759,000
The Woodlands Towers at The Waterway | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									3.68%
Carrying amount										0
Recourse percentage									100.00%
The Woodlands Warehouse | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									3.68%
Carrying amount										0
Recourse percentage									100.00%
Downtown Summerlin
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Recourse percentage									35.00%
Downtown Summerlin | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									3.88%
Carrying amount									$ 259,179,000	266,755,000
Two Merriweather | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									4.23%
Facility amount									$ 33,156,000
Carrying amount									$ 28,216,000	24,000,000
Outlet Collection at Riverwalk | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									4.23%
Carrying amount									$ 30,615,000	47,552,000
100 Fellowship Drive | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									3.23%
Facility amount									$ 51,426,000
Carrying amount									$ 47,916,000	35,481,000
20/25 Waterway Avenue | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									4.79%
Carrying amount									$ 13,131,000	13,395,000
Millennium Waterway Apartments | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									3.75%
Carrying amount									$ 53,032,000	54,083,000
HHC 242 Self-Storage | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									4.33%
Carrying amount									$ 5,499,000	6,604,000
HHC 2978 Self-Storage | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									4.33%
Carrying amount									$ 5,395,000	6,042,000
Lake Woodlands Crossing Retail | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									3.53%
Facility amount									$ 15,523,000
Carrying amount									$ 12,163,000	9,539,000
Lakeside Row | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									3.98%
Facility amount									$ 34,231,000
Carrying amount									$ 23,958,000	0
Recourse percentage									25.00%
The Woodlands Resort & Conference Center | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									4.23%
Carrying amount										62,500,000					$ 62,500,000
Lakefront North | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									3.73%
Facility amount									$ 51,821,000
Carrying amount									$ 32,731,000	21,120,000
9303 New Trails | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									4.88%
Carrying amount									$ 11,196,000	11,610,000
4 Waterway Square | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									4.88%
Carrying amount									$ 32,789,000	33,998,000
Creekside Park West | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									3.98%
Facility amount									$ 18,000,000
Carrying amount									$ 8,505,000	0
6100 Merriweather | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									4.48%
Facility amount									$ 89,844,000
Carrying amount									$ 36,418,000	0
Recourse percentage									25.00%
Tanager Apartments | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									3.98%
Carrying amount									$ 29,165,000	0
Recourse percentage									25.00%
Two Summerlin | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									4.25%
Carrying amount									$ 33,183,000	14,431,000
3831 Technology Forest Drive | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									4.50%
Carrying amount									$ 21,137,000	21,571,000
Kewalo Basin Harbor | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									4.48%
Facility amount									$ 11,562,000
Carrying amount									$ 11,110,000	3,499,000
Millennium Six Pines Apartments | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									3.39%
Carrying amount									$ 42,500,000	42,500,000
3 Waterway Square | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									3.94%
Carrying amount									$ 47,647,000	49,013,000
One Lakes Edge | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									4.50%
Carrying amount									$ 69,440,000	69,440,000
Aristocrat | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									3.67%
Carrying amount									$ 38,055,000	21,296,000
Creekside Park Apartments | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									3.52%
Carrying amount									$ 37,730,000	0
One Hughes Landing | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									4.30%
Carrying amount									$ 52,000,000	52,000,000
Two Hughes Landing | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									4.20%
Carrying amount									$ 48,000,000	48,000,000
Hockey Ground Lease SIDS | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									6.05%
Carrying amount									$ 135,000	141,000
Constellation Apartments | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									4.07%
Carrying amount									$ 24,200,000	24,200,000
Hughes Landing Retail | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									3.50%
Carrying amount									$ 35,000,000	35,000,000
Columbia Regional Building | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									4.48%
Carrying amount									$ 24,664,000	25,000,000
Las Vegas Ballpark | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									4.92%
Carrying amount									$ 51,231,000	26,766,000
250 Water Street | Seaport District Segment [Member]
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Carrying amount									$ 100,000,000	129,723,000
250 Water Street | Seaport District
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									5.23%
Facility amount									$ 100,000,000
Recourse percentage									35.00%
Seaport District | Seaport District Segment [Member]
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Carrying amount									$ 250,000,000	0
Seaport District | Seaport District
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									6.10%
Facility amount									$ 250,000,000
Debt Instrument, London Interbank Interest Rate Cap									2.30%
Debt instrument, london interbank offered rate floor									0.00%
Ke Kilohana | Strategic Developments
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									5.75%
Carrying amount									$ 0	96,757,000
‘A‘ali‘i | Strategic Developments
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									4.83%
Facility amount									$ 293,700,000
Carrying amount									$ 30,717,000	0
Recourse percentage									25.00%
Two Lakes Edge | Strategic Developments
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									3.88%
Facility amount									$ 74,035,000
Carrying amount									$ 38,214,000	0
110 North Wacker | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Recourse percentage									18.00%
110 North Wacker | Strategic Developments
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									4.73%
Facility amount									$ 558,900,000
Carrying amount									$ 184,300,000	50,000,000
Percent subject to interest rate collar contract									100.00%
Millennium Phase III Apartments | Strategic Developments
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									3.48%
Facility amount									$ 30,700,000
Carrying amount									$ 1,000	0
Juniper Apartments | Strategic Developments
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									4.48%
Facility amount									$ 85,657,000
Carrying amount									$ 34,610,000	0
Recourse percentage									25.00%
Other SID Bonds | Strategic Developments
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Carrying amount									$ 737,000	767,000
8770 New Trails | Strategic Developments
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									4.89%
Facility amount									$ 35,487,000
Carrying amount									15,124,000	0
The Woodlands Towers At The Waterway And The Woodlands Warehouse | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)											1.95%
Facility amount									$ 343,800,000
S128 | Downtown Summerlin | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									6.05%
Carrying amount									$ 2,569,000	2,652,000
S128 | Summerlin South | Master Planned Communities
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									7.30%
Carrying amount									$ 0	213,000
Summerlin South SID Bonds - S132 | Summerlin South | Master Planned Communities
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									6.00%
Carrying amount									$ 0	562,000
The Woodlands Master Credit Facility | Master Planned Communities
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									4.23%
Facility amount									$ 250,000,000
Carrying amount									$ 107,500,000	150,000,000
Bridgeland Credit Facility | Bridgeland Credit Facility | Master Planned Communities
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									4.23%
Facility amount									$ 250,000,000
Carrying amount									$ 107,500,000	65,000,000
Summerlin South SID Bonds - S151 | Summerlin South | Master Planned Communities
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									6.00%
Carrying amount									$ 0	913,000
Summerlin South SID Bonds - S128C | Summerlin South | Master Planned Communities
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									6.05%
Carrying amount									$ 2,014,000	3,211,000
Summerlin West SID Bonds - S812 | Summerlin West | Master Planned Communities
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									6.00%
Carrying amount									$ 1,960,000	6,709,000
Summerlin West SID Bonds - S814 | Summerlin West | Master Planned Communities
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									4.00%
Carrying amount									$ 16,310,000	0
Other corporate financing arrangements
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									4.33%
Carrying amount									$ 0	12,409,000
Senior Notes
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									5.375%
Recourse percentage									100.00%
Senior Secured Credit Facility | Operating Assets
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									4.61%
Facility amount									$ 700,000,000
Carrying amount									$ 615,000,000	$ 615,000,000
Percent subject to interest rate collar contract									100.00%
Minimum | Other SID Bonds | Strategic Developments
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									6.00%
Maximum | Other SID Bonds | Strategic Developments
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)									7.30%
One Month LIBOR
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate margin (as a percent)									1.73%
One Month LIBOR | Seaport District | Seaport District
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate margin (as a percent)									4.10%
London Inter Bank Offered Rate Three Month Libor
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate margin (as a percent)									1.90%
Prime Rate
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate margin (as a percent)									4.75%
Construction Loans
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Aggregate principal amount of debt issued		$ 64,600,000												$ 512,600,000
Construction Loans | Lake Woodlands Crossing Retail
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate margin (as a percent)								1.80%
Recourse percentage								15.00%
Aggregate principal amount of debt issued								$ 15,500,000
Construction Loans | Lakeside Row
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate margin (as a percent)										2.25%
Aggregate principal amount of debt issued																		$ 34,200,000
Construction Loans | Lakefront North
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Aggregate principal amount of debt issued																$ 51,800,000
Construction Loans | Creekside Park West
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate margin (as a percent)					2.25%
Aggregate principal amount of debt issued					$ 18,000,000.0
Construction Loans | 6100 Merriweather
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate margin (as a percent)						2.75%
Aggregate principal amount of debt issued						$ 89,800,000
Construction Loans | Tanager Apartments
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate margin (as a percent)							2.25%
Aggregate principal amount of debt issued							$ 44,100,000
Construction Loans | Two Summerlin
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Aggregate principal amount of debt issued		33,500,000
Construction Loans | Aristocrat
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Aggregate principal amount of debt issued		$ 31,100,000											$ 38,300,000
Construction Loans | ‘A‘ali‘i
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate margin (as a percent)				3.10%
Aggregate principal amount of debt issued				$ 293,700,000
Construction Loans | Two Lakes Edge
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Aggregate principal amount of debt issued																	$ 74,000,000.0
Construction Loans | 110 North Wacker
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Aggregate principal amount of debt issued														$ 558,900,000
Construction Loans | Millennium Phase III Apartments
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate margin (as a percent)	1.75%
Aggregate principal amount of debt issued	$ 30,700,000
Construction Loans | 8770 New Trails
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate (as a percent)			4.89%
Interest rate margin (as a percent)			2.45%
Aggregate principal amount of debt issued			$ 35,500,000
Construction Loans | One Month LIBOR | 8770 New Trails
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate margin (as a percent)									2.45%
Construction Loans | Prime Rate
Mortgages, notes and loans payable
Interest rate margin (as a percent)		0.40%