Discontinued Operations (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended			12 Months Ended				12 Months Ended				9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	21 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012 sqft		Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012 sqft		Sep. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2011 sqft		Sep. 30, 2012 Properties held for sale and expected to close during the next quarter [Member] sqft		Dec. 31, 2011 233 North Michigan [Member] sqft	Dec. 31, 2011 Greenbrier I & II [Member] sqft	Dec. 31, 2011 Glen Forest [Member] sqft	Dec. 31, 2011 Tower at Gervais [Member] sqft	Sep. 30, 2012 Sugar Grove [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Wells Fargo [Member] sqft	Sep. 30, 2012 Fund I Assets [Member] sqft	Dec. 31, 2011 Fund I Assets [Member] sqft	Sep. 30, 2012 Fund I Assets [Member] sqft	Sep. 30, 2012 Falls Pointe [Member] sqft	Sep. 30, 2012 111 East Wacker [Member] sqft	Sep. 30, 2012 Renaissance Center [Member] sqft	Sep. 30, 2012 Overlook II [Member] sqft	Sep. 30, 2012 Wink Building [Member] sqft	Sep. 30, 2012 Non-Core Assets [Member] sqft	Sep. 30, 2012 Non-Core Assets [Member] Jackson, MS [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Non-Core Assets [Member] Memphis, TN [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Non-Core Assets [Member] Richmond, VA [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Ashford/Peachtree [Member] sqft	Sep. 30, 2012 Additional Assets Sold [Member]
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Location											Chicago, IL	Hampton Roads, VA	Richmond, VA	Columbia, SC		Houston, TX		Various		Atlanta, GA	Chicago, IL	Memphis, TN	Atlanta, GA	New Orleans, LA	Various				Atlanta, GA
Square feet (in square feet)	3,854,000	[1]		3,854,000	[1]		3,711,000	[2]			1,070,000	172,000	81,000	298,000		134,000		1,956,000		107,000	1,013,000	189,000	260,000	32,000	1,932,000				321,000
Date of sale											05/11/2011	07/19/2011	08/16/2011	09/08/2011		12/09/2011		12/31/2011		01/06/2012	01/09/2012	03/01/2012	04/30/2012	06/08/2012	Various				07/01/2012
Net Sales Price	$ 371,823,000	[1]		$ 371,823,000	[1]		$ 457,015,000	[2]			$ 156,546,000	$ 16,275,000	$ 8,950,000	$ 18,421,000		$ 0		$ 256,823,000		$ 5,824,000	$ 153,240,000	$ 27,661,000	$ 29,467,000	$ 705,000	$ 125,486,000				$ 29,440,000
Net Book Value of Real Estate	362,056,000	[1]		362,056,000	[1]		444,324,000	[2]			152,254,000	15,070,000	7,880,000	18,421,000		0		250,699,000		4,467,000	153,237,000	24,629,000	28,689,000	803,000	122,157,000				28,074,000
Gain on sale of real estate from discontinued operations	995,000		2,275,000	9,767,000		6,567,000	17,825,000	[2]			4,292,000	1,205,000	1,070,000	0		0		11,258,000		1,357,000	3,000	3,032,000	778,000	(98,000)	3,329,000				1,366,000
Parkway's proportionate share of gain on sales of assets				4,900,000			9,800,000
Number of properties under agreement to sell																			13
Area of property under agreement to sell (in millions of square feet)																			2,700,000
Gross sales price of assets under agreement to sell																	344,300,000		344,300,000						147,700,000					157,400,000
Number of assets under agreement that have completed sale																	4	9
Mortgage loans assumed by buyer for property sold																	292,000,000		292,000,000		147,900,000				41,700,000
Proportionate share of mortgage loans assumed																	82,400,000		82,400,000						31,900,000
Weighted average interest rate on mortgage loans assumed by the buyer for properties sold (in hundredths)																	5.60%		5.60%
Area of property sold under agreement to sell (in square feet)																	770,000
Net proceeds from the sale															10,000,000				14,200,000						94,300,000					4,800,000
Number of additional assets sold																									15	6	4	5		3
Number of non-core assets sold																									15	6	4	5		3
Long Lived Assets Held-for-sale [Line Items]
Location of Real Estate Property									Houston, TX	[3]
Square feet (in square feet)	124,000	[3]		124,000	[3]				124,000	[3]
Date of sale, property held for sale									10/23/2012	[3]
Gross Sales Price	11,425,000,000	[3]		11,425,000,000	[3]				11,425,000,000	[3]
Major classes of assets and liabilities classified as held for sale [Abstract]
Investment property	11,743,000			11,743,000
Accumulated depreciation	(5,071,000)			(5,071,000)
Office property held for sale	6,672,000			6,672,000
Rents receivable and other assets	359,000			359,000
Total assets held for sale	7,031,000			7,031,000
Accounts payable and other liabilities	361,000			361,000
Total liabilities related to assets held for sale	361,000			361,000
Revenues and expenses for office properties reported in discontinued operations [Abstract]
Income from office and parking properties	836,000		30,517,000	13,857,000		107,098,000
Total Revenues	836,000		30,517,000	13,857,000		107,098,000
Expenses [Abstract]
Operating expense	543,000		13,359,000	6,450,000		47,907,000
Management company expense	53,000		76,000	291,000		202,000
Interest expense	468,000		7,023,000	3,845,000		22,792,000
Non-cash adjustment for interest rate swap	0		0	(215,000)		0
Depreciation and amortization	102,000		14,852,000	948,000		46,061,000
Impairment loss	0		127,007,000	0		128,707,000
Total Expenses	1,166,000		162,317,000	11,319,000		245,669,000
Income (loss) from discontinued operations	(330,000)		(131,800,000)	2,538,000		(138,571,000)
Gain on sale of real estate from discontinued operations	995,000		2,275,000	9,767,000		6,567,000	17,825,000	[2]			4,292,000	1,205,000	1,070,000	0		0		11,258,000		1,357,000	3,000	3,032,000	778,000	(98,000)	3,329,000				1,366,000
Total discontinued operations	665,000		(129,525,000)	12,305,000		(132,004,000)
Net (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interest from discontinued operations	(545,000)		74,310,000	(4,219,000)		77,840,000
Total discontinued operations-Parkway's share	$ 120,000		$ (55,215,000)	$ 8,086,000		$ (54,164,000)

[1] Total gain on the sale of real estate in discontinued operations recognized during the nine months ended September 30, 2012 was $9.8 million, of which $4.9 million was Parkway's proportionate share.

[2] Total gain on the sale of real estate in discontinued operations recognized for the year ended December 31, 2011 was $17.8 million, of which $9.8 million was Parkway's proportionate share.

[3] Gains on assets held for sale are expected to be finalized upon sale and reflected in the year ending December 31, 2012 financial statements.