Description of Business and Basis of Presentation	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION	DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION Description of Business: Cousins Properties Incorporated (“Cousins”), a Georgia corporation, is a self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust (“REIT”). Through October 5, 2016, Cousins conducted all of its business on its own account or through wholly or partially owned entities, some of which were consolidated with Cousins and some of which were not consolidated and were accounted for under the equity method. One of the consolidated entities, Cousins TRS Services LLC ("CTRS") is a taxable entity which owns and manages its own real estate portfolio and performs certain real estate related services for other parties. In connection with a series of transactions with Parkway Properties, Inc. ("Parkway") and Parkway, Inc. ("New Parkway"), including a merger and spin-off, Cousins Properties LP ("CPLP") was formed. On October 6, 2016, the closing date of the merger with Parkway, Cousins contributed, or caused to be contributed, all of Parkway's and Cousins' assets and liabilities not pertaining to the ownership of real properties in Houston, Texas and certain other businesses of Parkway to CPLP, including CTRS, and began conducting substantially all of its operations through CPLP. Cousins owns approximately 98% of CPLP and consolidates CPLP. Cousins, CPLP, CTRS and their subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”) develop, acquire, lease, manage, and own primarily Class A office properties and opportunistic mixed-use developments in Sunbelt markets with a focus on Georgia, Texas, and North Carolina. As of December 31, 2016, the Company’s portfolio of real estate assets consisted of interests in 16.2 million square feet of office space and 786,000 square feet of mixed-use space. Basis of Presentation: The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its consolidated partnerships and wholly-owned subsidiaries. Intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation. The Company presents its financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) as outlined in the Financial Accounting Standard Board’s Accounting Standards Codification (the “Codification” or “ASC”). The Codification is the single source of authoritative accounting principles applied by nongovernmental entities in the preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP. For the three years ended December 31, 2016, there were no items of other comprehensive income. Therefore, no presentation of comprehensive income is required. The Company evaluates all partnerships, joint ventures and other arrangements with variable interests to determine if the entity or arrangement qualifies as a variable interest entity (“VIE”), as defined in the Codification. If the entity or arrangement qualifies as a VIE and the Company is determined to be the primary beneficiary, the Company is required to consolidate the assets, liabilities, and results of operations of the VIE. At December 31, 2016, the Company had a joint venture with Callaway Gardens Resort, Inc. (“Callaway”) for the development of residential lots, which was funded fully through Company contributions. Callaway had the right to receive returns, but no obligation to fund any costs or absorb any losses. The Company was the sole decision maker for the venture and the development manager. The Company determined that the joint venture with Callaway was a VIE, and the Company was the primary beneficiary. Therefore, the Company consolidated this joint venture. In January 2017, the Company withdrew from the joint venture and, as a result, recorded an impairment loss of $4.5 million in 2016 which is included in other expense in the consolidated statements of operations. As of December 31, 2016 and 2015, Callaway had total assets of $-0- and $4.6 million, respectively, and no significant liabilities. The Company also considers CPLP to be a VIE with the Company as the primary beneficiary. Recently Issued Accounting Standards: In 2015, the FASB issued ASC 2015-02 "Consolidation (Topic 810): Amendments to the Consolidation Analysis." All legal entities are subject to reevaluation under the revised consolidation model. The amendment modifies the evaluation of whether limited partnerships and similar legal entities are variable interest entities or voting interest entities. It also eliminates the presumption that a general partner should consolidate a limited partnership. The guidance is effective for public entities with periods beginning after December 15, 2015 with early adoption permitted. The Company adopted this guidance effective January 1, 2016, and it did not have material impact on the consolidated financial statements. In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, "Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting." Under this ASU, the additional paid-in capital pool is eliminated, and an entity recognizes all excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies as income tax expense or benefit in the income statement. This ASU also eliminated the requirement to defer recognition of an excess tax benefit until all benefits are realized through a reduction to taxes payable. This ASU also changes the treatment of excess tax benefits as operating cash flows in the statement of cash flows. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016 with early adoption permitted. The Company expects to adopt this guidance effective January 1, 2017, and is currently assessing the potential impact of adopting the new guidance. In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued ASU 2016-02, "Leases," which amends the existing standards for lease accounting by requiring lessees to recognize most leases on their balance sheets and making targeted changes to lessor accounting and reporting. The new standard will require lessees to record a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for all leases with a term of greater than 12 months and classify such leases as either finance or operating leases based on the principle of whether or not the lease is effectively a financed purchase of the leased asset by the lessee. This classification will determine whether the lease expense is recognized based on an effective interest method (finance leases) or on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease (operating leases). Leases with a term of 12 months or less will be accounted for similar to existing guidance for operating leases. The new standard requires lessors to account for leases using an approach that is substantially equivalent to existing guidance for sales-type leases, direct financing leases and operating leases. ASU 2016-02 supersedes previous leasing standards. The guidance is effective for the fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018 with early adoption permitted. The Company expects to adopt this guidance effective January 1, 2019, and is currently assessing the potential impact of adopting the new guidance. The Company expects to adopt this guidance using the " modified retrospective" method effective January 1, 2019. In the first quarter of 2016, the Company adopted ASU 2015-03, "Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Costs" ("ASU 2015-03"). In accordance with ASU 2015-03, the Company began recording deferred financing costs related to its mortgage notes payable as a reduction in the carrying amount of its notes payable on the consolidated balance sheets. The Company reclassified $2.5 million in deferred financing costs from other assets to notes payable in its December 31, 2015 consolidated balance sheet to conform to the current period's presentation. Deferred financing costs related to the Company’s unsecured revolving credit facility continue to be included in other assets within the Company’s balance sheets in accordance with ASU 2015-15 "Presentation and Subsequent Measurement of Debt Issuance Costs Associated with Line-of-Credit Arrangements." In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers." Under the new guidance, companies will recognize revenue when the seller satisfies a performance obligation, which would be when the buyer takes control of the good or service. This new guidance could result in different amounts of revenue being recognized and could result in revenue being recognized in different reporting periods than under the current guidance. The new guidance specifically excludes revenue associated with lease contracts. ASU 2015-14, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers," was subsequently issued modifying the effective date to periods beginning after December 15, 2017, with early adoption permitted for periods beginning after December 15, 2016. The standard allows for either "full retrospective" adoption, meaning the standard is applied to all of the periods presented, or "modified retrospective" adoption, meaning the standard is applied only to the most recent period presented in the financial statements. The Company is currently assessing this guidance for future implementation and potential impact of adoption. The Company expects to adopt this guidance using the "modified retrospective" method effective January 1, 2018. In August 2014, the FASB issued ASU 205-40, "Disclosure of Uncertainties about an Entity's Ability to Continue as a Going Concern," which requires management of all entities to evaluate whether there are conditions and events that raise substantial doubt about the entity's ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the financial statements are issued. The Company adopted ASU 205-40 as of December 31, 2016. In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-01, "Clarifying the Definition of a Business," which provides a more narrow definition of a business to be used in determining the accounting treatment of an acquisition. As a result, many acquisitions that previously qualified as business combinations will be treated as asset acquisitions. For asset acquisitions, acquisition costs may be capitalized, and the purchase price may be allocated on a relative fair value basis. ASU 2017-01 is effective prospectively for the Company on January 1, 2018, with early adoption permitted. The Company expects that most of its future acquisitions will qualify as asset acquisitions. Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform with current year presentation on the consolidated statements of operations and the consolidated statements of equity. Separation expenses on the consolidated statements of operations have been reclassified from general and administrative expenses to other expenses. On the consolidated statements of equity, all components of common stock issued pursuant to stock-based compensation are aggregated into one line item. These changes do not affect the previously reported total costs and expenses in the consolidated statements of operations or the total equity in the consolidated statements of equity for any period.

DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION

Description of Business: Cousins Properties Incorporated (“Cousins”), a Georgia corporation, is a self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust (“REIT”). Through October 5, 2016, Cousins conducted all of its business on its own account or through wholly or partially owned entities, some of which were consolidated with Cousins and some of which were not consolidated and were accounted for under the equity method. One of the consolidated entities, Cousins TRS Services LLC ("CTRS") is a taxable entity which owns and manages its own real estate portfolio and performs certain real estate related services for other parties. In connection with a series of transactions with Parkway Properties, Inc. ("Parkway") and Parkway, Inc. ("New Parkway"), including a merger and spin-off, Cousins Properties LP ("CPLP") was formed. On October 6, 2016, the closing date of the merger with Parkway, Cousins contributed, or caused to be contributed, all of Parkway's and Cousins' assets and liabilities not pertaining to the ownership of real properties in Houston, Texas and certain other businesses of Parkway to CPLP, including CTRS, and began conducting substantially all of its operations through CPLP. Cousins owns approximately 98% of CPLP and consolidates CPLP.

Cousins, CPLP, CTRS and their subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”) develop, acquire, lease, manage, and own primarily Class A office properties and opportunistic mixed-use developments in Sunbelt markets with a focus on Georgia, Texas, and North Carolina. As of December 31, 2016, the Company’s portfolio of real estate assets consisted of interests in 16.2 million square feet of office space and 786,000 square feet of mixed-use space.

Basis of Presentation: The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its consolidated partnerships and wholly-owned subsidiaries. Intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation. The Company presents its financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) as outlined in the Financial Accounting Standard Board’s Accounting Standards Codification (the “Codification” or “ASC”). The Codification is the single source of authoritative accounting principles applied by nongovernmental entities in the preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP.

For the three years ended December 31, 2016, there were no items of other comprehensive income. Therefore, no presentation of comprehensive income is required.

The Company evaluates all partnerships, joint ventures and other arrangements with variable interests to determine if the entity or arrangement qualifies as a variable interest entity (“VIE”), as defined in the Codification. If the entity or arrangement qualifies as a VIE and the Company is determined to be the primary beneficiary, the Company is required to consolidate the assets, liabilities, and results of operations of the VIE.

At December 31, 2016, the Company had a joint venture with Callaway Gardens Resort, Inc. (“Callaway”) for the development of residential lots, which was funded fully through Company contributions. Callaway had the right to receive returns, but no obligation to fund any costs or absorb any losses. The Company was the sole decision maker for the venture and the development manager. The Company determined that the joint venture with Callaway was a VIE, and the Company was the primary beneficiary. Therefore, the Company consolidated this joint venture. In January 2017, the Company withdrew from the joint venture and, as a result, recorded an impairment loss of $4.5 million in 2016 which is included in other expense in the consolidated statements of operations. As of December 31, 2016 and 2015, Callaway had total assets of $-0- and $4.6 million, respectively, and no significant liabilities. The Company also considers CPLP to be a VIE with the Company as the primary beneficiary.

Recently Issued Accounting Standards: In 2015, the FASB issued ASC 2015-02 "Consolidation (Topic 810): Amendments to the Consolidation Analysis." All legal entities are subject to reevaluation under the revised consolidation model. The amendment modifies the evaluation of whether limited partnerships and similar legal entities are variable interest entities or voting interest entities. It also eliminates the presumption that a general partner should consolidate a limited partnership. The guidance is effective for public entities with periods beginning after December 15, 2015 with early adoption permitted. The Company adopted this guidance effective January 1, 2016, and it did not have material impact on the consolidated financial statements.

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, "Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting." Under this ASU, the additional paid-in capital pool is eliminated, and an entity recognizes all excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies as income tax expense or benefit in the income statement. This ASU also eliminated the requirement to defer recognition of an excess tax benefit until all benefits are realized through a reduction to taxes payable. This ASU also changes the treatment of excess tax benefits as operating cash flows in the statement of cash flows. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016 with early adoption permitted. The Company expects to adopt this guidance effective January 1, 2017, and is currently assessing the potential impact of adopting the new guidance.

In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued ASU 2016-02, "Leases," which amends the existing standards for lease accounting by requiring lessees to recognize most leases on their balance sheets and making targeted changes to lessor accounting and reporting. The new standard will require lessees to record a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for all leases with a term of greater than 12 months and classify such leases as either finance or operating leases based on the principle of whether or not the lease is effectively a financed purchase of the leased asset by the lessee. This classification will determine whether the lease expense is recognized based on an effective interest method (finance leases) or on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease (operating leases). Leases with a term of 12 months or less will be accounted for similar to existing guidance for operating leases. The new standard requires lessors to account for leases using an approach that is substantially equivalent to existing guidance for sales-type leases, direct financing leases and operating leases. ASU 2016-02 supersedes previous leasing standards. The guidance is effective for the fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018 with early adoption permitted. The Company expects to adopt this guidance effective January 1, 2019, and is currently assessing the potential impact of adopting the new guidance. The Company expects to adopt this guidance using the " modified retrospective" method effective January 1, 2019.

In the first quarter of 2016, the Company adopted ASU 2015-03, "Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Costs" ("ASU 2015-03"). In accordance with ASU 2015-03, the Company began recording deferred financing costs related to its mortgage notes payable as a reduction in the carrying amount of its notes payable on the consolidated balance sheets. The Company reclassified $2.5 million in deferred financing costs from other assets to notes payable in its December 31, 2015 consolidated balance sheet to conform to the current period's presentation. Deferred financing costs related to the Company’s unsecured revolving credit facility continue to be included in other assets within the Company’s balance sheets in accordance with ASU 2015-15 "Presentation and Subsequent Measurement of Debt Issuance Costs Associated with Line-of-Credit Arrangements."

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers." Under the new guidance, companies will recognize revenue when the seller satisfies a performance obligation, which would be when the buyer takes control of the good or service. This new guidance could result in different amounts of revenue being recognized and could result in revenue being recognized in different reporting periods than under the current guidance. The new guidance specifically excludes revenue associated with lease contracts. ASU 2015-14, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers," was subsequently issued modifying the effective date to periods beginning after December 15, 2017, with early adoption permitted for periods beginning after December 15, 2016. The standard allows for either "full retrospective" adoption, meaning the standard is applied to all of the periods presented, or "modified retrospective" adoption, meaning the standard is applied only to the most recent period presented in the financial statements. The Company is currently assessing this guidance for future implementation and potential impact of adoption. The Company expects to adopt this guidance using the "modified retrospective" method effective January 1, 2018.

In August 2014, the FASB issued ASU 205-40, "Disclosure of Uncertainties about an Entity's Ability to Continue as a Going Concern," which requires management of all entities to evaluate whether there are conditions and events that raise substantial doubt about the entity's ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the financial statements are issued. The Company adopted ASU 205-40 as of December 31, 2016.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-01, "Clarifying the Definition of a Business," which provides a more narrow definition of a business to be used in determining the accounting treatment of an acquisition. As a result, many acquisitions that previously qualified as business combinations will be treated as asset acquisitions. For asset acquisitions, acquisition costs may be capitalized, and the purchase price may be allocated on a relative fair value basis. ASU 2017-01 is effective prospectively for the Company on January 1, 2018, with early adoption permitted. The Company expects that most of its future acquisitions will qualify as asset acquisitions.

Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform with current year presentation on the consolidated statements of operations and the consolidated statements of equity. Separation expenses on the consolidated statements of operations have been reclassified from general and administrative expenses to other expenses. On the consolidated statements of equity, all components of common stock issued pursuant to stock-based compensation are aggregated into one line item. These changes do not affect the previously reported total costs and expenses in the consolidated statements of operations or the total equity in the consolidated statements of equity for any period.