Note 7 - Investment and Advances in Real Estate Joint Ventures (Details) - Joint Venture Investments Accounted for under the Equity Method - Investment Details (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2013 KimPru and KimPru II [Member]		Dec. 31, 2012 KimPru and KimPru II [Member]		Dec. 31, 2013 KIR [Member]		Dec. 31, 2012 KIR [Member]		Dec. 31, 2013 KUBS [Member]		Dec. 31, 2012 KUBS [Member]		Dec. 31, 2013 Kimstone [Member]		Dec. 31, 2012 Kimstone [Member]		Dec. 31, 2013 BIG Shopping Centers [Member]		Dec. 31, 2012 BIG Shopping Centers [Member]		Dec. 31, 2013 CPP [Member]		Dec. 31, 2012 CPP [Member]		Dec. 31, 2013 Kimco Income Fund [Member]		Dec. 31, 2012 Kimco Income Fund [Member]		Dec. 31, 2013 SEB Immobilien [Member]		Dec. 31, 2012 SEB Immobilien [Member]		Dec. 31, 2013 Other Institutional Programs [Member]		Dec. 31, 2012 Other Institutional Programs [Member]		Dec. 31, 2013 RioCan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 RioCan [Member]	Oct. 31, 2001 RioCan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Intown [Member]		Dec. 31, 2012 Intown [Member]		Dec. 31, 2013 Latin America Portfolio [Member]		Dec. 31, 2012 Latin America Portfolio [Member]		Dec. 31, 2013 Other Joint Venture Programs [Member]		Dec. 31, 2012 Other Joint Venture Programs [Member]		Dec. 31, 2013 All Equity Method Investments [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 All Equity Method Investments [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Average Ownership Interest							15.00%	[1],[2],[3]	15.00%	[1],[2],[3]	48.60%	[1],[4],[5]	45.00%	[1],[4],[5]		[1],[6],[7],[8]	17.90%	[1],[6],[7],[8]	33.30%	[1],[7]		[1],[7]	37.90%	[1],[6],[9]	37.70%	[1],[6],[9]	55.00%	[1]	55.00%	[1]	39.50%	[1],[10]	15.20%	[1],[10]	15.00%	[1]	15.00%	[1]		[1],[11]		[1],[11]	50.00%	50.00%	50.00%		[12]		[12]		[13],[14]		[13],[14]		[15],[16],[17]		[15],[16],[17]
Number of Properties							60	[1],[2],[3]	61	[1],[2],[3]	57	[1],[4],[5]	58	[1],[4],[5]		[1],[6],[7],[8]	40	[1],[6],[7],[8]	39	[1],[7]		[1],[7]	21	[1],[6],[9]	22	[1],[6],[9]	6	[1]	6	[1]	12	[1],[10]	12	[1],[10]	13	[1]	13	[1]	56	[1],[11]	58	[1],[11]	45	45			[12]	138	[12]	28	[13],[14]	131	[13],[14]	75	[15],[16],[17]	87	[15],[16],[17]	412	671
Total GLA	4,057	[18]	3,086	[18]			10,600,000	[1],[2],[3]	10,700,000	[1],[2],[3]	12,000,000	[1],[4],[5]	12,400,000	[1],[4],[5]		[1],[6],[7],[8]	5,700,000	[1],[6],[7],[8]	5,600,000	[1],[7]		[1],[7]	3,400,000	[1],[6],[9]	3,600,000	[1],[6],[9]	2,400,000	[1]	2,400,000	[1]	1,500,000	[1],[10]	1,500,000	[1],[10]	1,800,000	[1]	1,800,000	[1]	2,100,000	[1],[11]	2,600,000	[1],[11]	9,300,000	9,300,000			[12]		[12]	3,700,000	[13],[14]	18,000,000	[13],[14]	11,500,000	[15],[16],[17]	13,200,000	[15],[16],[17]	63,900,000	81,200,000
Gross Investment In Real Estate (in Dollars)	$ 9,123,343,869		$ 8,947,286,646		$ 8,771,256,852	$ 8,587,378,001	$ 2,724,000,000	[1],[2],[3]	$ 2,744,900,000	[1],[2],[3]	$ 1,496,000,000	[1],[4],[5]	$ 1,543,200,000	[1],[4],[5]		[1],[6],[7],[8]	$ 1,260,100,000	[1],[6],[7],[8]	$ 1,095,300,000	[1],[7]		[1],[7]	$ 520,100,000	[1],[6],[9]	$ 547,700,000	[1],[6],[9]	$ 437,400,000	[1]	$ 436,100,000	[1]	$ 288,700,000	[1],[10]	$ 287,000,000	[1],[10]	$ 361,900,000	[1]	$ 361,200,000	[1]	$ 385,300,000	[1],[11]	$ 499,200,000	[1],[11]	$ 1,314,300,000	$ 1,379,300,000			[12]	$ 841,000,000	[12]	$ 313,200,000	[13],[14]	$ 1,198,100,000	[13],[14]	$ 1,548,900,000	[15],[16],[17]	$ 1,846,700,000	[15],[16],[17]	$ 10,485,100,000	$ 12,944,500,000
The Company's Investment (in Dollars)							$ 179,700,000	[1],[2],[3]	$ 170,100,000	[1],[2],[3]	$ 163,600,000	[1],[4],[5]	$ 140,300,000	[1],[4],[5]	$ 1,100,000	[1],[6],[7],[8]	$ 58,400,000	[1],[6],[7],[8]	$ 100,300,000	[1],[7]		[1],[7]	$ 29,500,000	[1],[6],[9]	$ 31,300,000	[1],[6],[9]	$ 144,800,000	[1]	$ 149,500,000	[1]	$ 50,600,000	[1],[10]	$ 12,300,000	[1],[10]	$ 900,000	[1]	$ 1,500,000	[1]	$ 16,800,000	[1],[11]	$ 21,300,000	[1],[11]	$ 156,300,000	$ 111,000,000			[12]	$ 86,900,000	[12]	$ 156,700,000	[13],[14]	$ 334,200,000	[13],[14]	$ 256,700,000	[15],[16],[17]	$ 311,400,000	[15],[16],[17]	$ 1,257,000,000	$ 1,428,200,000

[1] The Company manages these joint venture investments and, where applicable, earns acquisition fees, leasing commissions, property management fees, asset management fees and construction management fees.

[2] This venture represents four separate joint ventures, with four separate accounts managed by Prudential Real Estate Investors ("PREI"), three of these ventures are collectively referred to as KimPru and the remaining venture is referred to as KimPru II.

[3] During the year ended December 31, 2013, the Company purchased the remaining interest in an operating property for a purchase price of $15.8 million. As a result of this transaction, KimPru recognized an impairment charge of $4.0 million, of which the Company's share was $0.6 million.

[4] During the year ended December 31, 2013, the Company purchased an additional 3.57% interest in KIR for $48.4 million.

[5] During the year ended December 31, 2013, KIR sold an operating property in Cincinnati, OH for a sales price of $30.0 million and recognized a gain of $6.1 million. The Company's share of this gain was $3.0 million.

[6] Ownership % is a blended rate

[7] During June 2013, the Company increased its ownership interest in the UBS Programs to 33.3% and simultaneously UBS transferred its remaining 66.7% ownership interest in the UBS Programs to affiliates of Blackstone Real Estate Partners VII ("Blackstone"). Both of these transactions were based on a gross purchase price of $1.1 billion. Upon completion of these transactions, Blackstone and the Company entered into a new joint venture (Kimstone) in which the Company owns a 33.3% noncontrolling interest.

[8] During the year ended December 31, 2013, UBS sold an operating property to the Company for a sales price of $32.7 million, which was equal to the remaining debt balance. The Company evaluated this transaction pursuant to the FASB's Consolidation guidance. As such the Company recognized no gain or loss from a change in control and now consolidates this operating property.

[9] During the year ended December 31, 2013, BIG recognized a gain on early extinguishment of debt of $13.7 million related to a property that was foreclosed on by a third party lender. The Company's share of this gain was $2.4 million.

[10] During the year ended December 31, 2013, the Company purchased an additional 24.24% interest in Kimco Income Fund for $38.3 million.

[11] During the year ended December 31, 2013, a joint venture in which the Company held a noncontrolling interest sold an operating property to the Company for a sales price of $14.2 million. The Company evaluated this transaction pursuant to the FASB's Consolidation guidance. As such the Company recognized a gain of $0.5 million from the fair value adjustment associated with the Company's original ownership due to a change in control and now consolidates this operating property.

[12] The Company's share of this investment was subject to fluctuation and dependent upon property cash flows. During June 2013, the Intown portfolio was sold for a sales price of $735.0 million which included the assignment of $609.2 million in debt. This transaction resulted in a deferred gain to the Company of $21.7 million. The Company maintains its guarantee on a portion of the debt ($139.7 million as of December 31, 2013) assumed by the buyer. The guarantee is collateralized by the buyer's ownership interest in the portfolio. The Company is entitled to a guarantee fee, for the initial term of the loan, which is scheduled to mature in December 2015. The guarantee fee is calculated based upon the difference between LIBOR plus 1.15% and 5.0% per annum multiplied by the outstanding amount of the loan. Additionally, the Company has entered into a commitment to provide financing up to the outstanding amount of the guaranteed portion of the loan for five years past the date of maturity. This commitment can be in the form of extensions with the current lender, loans from a new lender or financing directly from the Company to the buyer. Due to this continued involvement, the Company deferred its gain until such time that the guarantee and commitment expire.

[13] During the year ended December 31, 2013, joint ventures in which the Company held noncontrolling interests sold 20 operating properties located throughout Mexico and Chile for $341.9 million. These transactions resulted in an aggregate net gain to the Company of $22.9 million, after tax, which represents the Company's share.

[14] During the year ended December 31, 2013, the Company and its joint venture partner sold their noncontrolling ownership interest in a joint venture which held interests in 84 operating properties located throughout Mexico for $603.5 million (including debt of $301.2 million). The Company's share of the net gain of $78.2 million, before income taxes of $25.1 million.

[15] During the year ended December 31, 2013, the Company amended one of its Canadian preferred equity investment agreements to restructure the investment as a pari passu joint venture in which the Company holds a noncontrolling interest. As a result of this transaction, the Company continues to account for its investment in this joint venture under the equity method of accounting and includes this investment in Investments and advances to real estate joint ventures within the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheets.

[16] During the year ended December 31, 2013, two joint ventures in which the Company held noncontrolling interests sold two operating properties to the Company, in separate transactions, for an aggregate sales price of $228.8 million. The Company evaluated these transactions pursuant to the FASB's Consolidation guidance. As such, the Company recognized an aggregate gain of $30.9 million, before income tax, from the fair value adjustment associated with its original ownership due to a change in control and now consolidates these operating properties.

[17] During the year ended December 31, 2013, joint ventures in which the Company has noncontrolling interests sold six operating properties, in separate transactions, for an aggregate sales price of $132.1 million. In connection with these transactions, the Company recognized its share of the aggregate gains of $6.1 million and aggregate impairment charges of $1.5 million.

[18] Gross leasable area ("GLA")