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, 2014		Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Total GLA	7,104	[1]	4,057	[1]
Gross Investment In Real Estate (in Dollars)	$ 10,018,225,775		$ 9,123,343,869		$ 8,947,286,646	$ 8,771,256,852
KimPru and KimPru II [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Average Ownership Interest	15.00%	[2],[3]	15.00%	[2],[3]
Number of Properties	60	[2],[3]	60	[2],[3]
Total GLA	10,600,000	[2],[3]	10,600,000	[2],[3]
Gross Investment In Real Estate (in Dollars)	2,728,900,000	[2],[3]	2,724,000,000	[2],[3]
The Company's Investment (in Dollars)	178,600,000	[2],[3]	179,700,000	[2],[3]
KIR [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Average Ownership Interest	48.60%	[2],[4]	48.60%	[2],[4]
Number of Properties	54	[2],[4]	57	[2],[4]
Total GLA	11,500,000	[2],[4]	12,000,000	[2],[4]
Gross Investment In Real Estate (in Dollars)	1,488,200,000	[2],[4]	1,496,000,000	[2],[4]
The Company's Investment (in Dollars)	152,100,000	[2],[4]	163,600,000	[2],[4]
Kimstone [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Average Ownership Interest	33.30%	[2],[5]	33.30%	[2],[5]
Number of Properties	39	[2],[5]	39	[2],[5]
Total GLA	5,600,000	[2],[5]	5,600,000	[2],[5]
Gross Investment In Real Estate (in Dollars)	1,098,700,000	[2],[5]	1,095,300,000	[2],[5]
The Company's Investment (in Dollars)	98,100,000	[2],[5]	100,300,000	[2],[5]
BIG Shopping Centers [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Average Ownership Interest	50.10%	[2],[6],[7]	37.90%	[2],[6],[7]
Number of Properties	6	[2],[6],[7]	21	[2],[6],[7]
Total GLA	1,000,000	[2],[6],[7]	3,400,000	[2],[6],[7]
Gross Investment In Real Estate (in Dollars)	151,600,000	[2],[6],[7]	520,100,000	[2],[6],[7]
The Company's Investment (in Dollars)		[2],[6],[7]	29,500,000	[2],[6],[7]
CPP [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Average Ownership Interest	55.00%	[2],[8]	55.00%	[2],[8]
Number of Properties	7	[2],[8]	6	[2],[8]
Total GLA	2,400,000	[2],[8]	2,400,000	[2],[8]
Gross Investment In Real Estate (in Dollars)	504,000,000	[2],[8]	437,400,000	[2],[8]
The Company's Investment (in Dollars)	188,900,000	[2],[8]	144,800,000	[2],[8]
Kimco Income Fund [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Average Ownership Interest		[2],[9]	39.50%	[2],[9]
Number of Properties		[2],[9]	12	[2],[9]
Total GLA		[2],[9]	1,500,000	[2],[9]
Gross Investment In Real Estate (in Dollars)		[2],[9]	288,700,000	[2],[9]
The Company's Investment (in Dollars)		[2],[9]	50,600,000	[2],[9]
SEB Immobilien [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Average Ownership Interest	15.00%	[10],[2]	15.00%	[10],[2]
Number of Properties	3	[10],[2]	13	[10],[2]
Total GLA	400,000	[10],[2]	1,800,000	[10],[2]
Gross Investment In Real Estate (in Dollars)	86,000,000	[10],[2]	361,900,000	[10],[2]
The Company's Investment (in Dollars)	2,500,000	[10],[2]	900,000	[10],[2]
Other Institutional Programs [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Average Ownership Interest		[11],[12],[2]		[11],[12],[2]
Number of Properties	50	[11],[12],[2]	56	[11],[12],[2]
Total GLA	1,400,000	[11],[12],[2]	2,100,000	[11],[12],[2]
Gross Investment In Real Estate (in Dollars)	327,800,000	[11],[12],[2]	385,300,000	[11],[12],[2]
The Company's Investment (in Dollars)	8,500,000	[11],[12],[2]	16,800,000	[11],[12],[2]
RioCan [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Average Ownership Interest	50.00%		50.00%
Number of Properties	45		45
Total GLA	9,300,000		9,300,000
Gross Investment In Real Estate (in Dollars)	1,205,800,000		1,314,300,000
The Company's Investment (in Dollars)	159,800,000		156,300,000
Latin America Portfolio [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Average Ownership Interest		[13]		[13]
Number of Properties	13	[13]	28	[13]
Total GLA	100,000	[13]	3,700,000	[13]
Gross Investment In Real Estate (in Dollars)	91,200,000	[13]	313,200,000	[13]
The Company's Investment (in Dollars)	24,400,000	[13]	156,700,000	[13]
Other Joint Venture Programs [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Average Ownership Interest		[14],[15]		[14],[15]
Number of Properties	60	[14],[15]	75	[14],[15]
Total GLA	9,500,000	[14],[15]	11,500,000	[14],[15]
Gross Investment In Real Estate (in Dollars)	1,401,200,000	[14],[15]	1,548,900,000	[14],[15]
The Company's Investment (in Dollars)	224,300,000	[14],[15]	257,800,000	[14],[15]
All Equity Method Investments [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Number of Properties	337		412
Total GLA	51,800,000		63,900,000
Gross Investment In Real Estate (in Dollars)	9,083,400,000		10,485,100,000
The Company's Investment (in Dollars)	$ 1,037,200,000		$ 1,257,000,000

[1] Gross leasable area ("GLA")

[2] 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.

[3] 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. During the year ended December 31, 2014, KimPru recognized impairment charges of $21.4 million related to the decline in value of two operating properties. The Company had previously taken other-than-temporary impairment charges on its investment in KimPru and had allocated these impairment charges to the underlying assets of the KimPru joint ventures including a portion to these operating properties. As such, the Company's share of these impairment charges was $2.4 million.

[4] During the year ended December 31, 2014 KIR, (i) sold two operating properties for a sales price of $17.7 million, for which the Company recognized its share of an aggregate net gain of $1.1 million, (ii) recognized aggregate impairment charges of $5.0 million, of which the Company's share was $2.8 million, related to two properties which KIR anticipates selling within the next year and therefore effectively shortened its anticipated hold period for these assets which resulted in the expected future cash flows being less than the carrying value and (iii) sold one of the impaired properties for a sales price of $2.0 million.

[5] 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. On February 2, 2015, the Company purchased the remaining 66.7% interest in the 39-property Kimstone portfolio from Blackstone for a gross purchase price of $1.4 billion, including the assumption of $638.0 million in mortgage debt (see Footnote 26 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements).

[6] During the year ended December 31, 2014, the Company and their joint venture partner BIG divided 15 of the 21 properties in the BIG Shopping Centers venture with the Company receiving a 99% ownership interest in seven operating properties and BIG receiving a 99% ownership interest in eight operating properties. The Company recognized a gain of $19.7 million on the properties where BIG obtained a 99% interest (see Footnote 3 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements). Subsequent to this transaction the BIG Shopping Centers venture continues to hold six operating properties. 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.

[7] Ownership % is a blended rate

[8] During the year ended December 31, 2014, CPP acquired land parcels in Dania, FL, for $62.8 million. These land parcels will be developed into a retail center.

[9] During the year ended December 31, 2014, the Company purchased the remaining interest in KIF based on a gross purchase price of $408.0 million (see Footnote 3 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements).

[10] During the year ended December 31, 2014, the Company purchased the remaining 85% interest in 10 SEB properties based on a gross purchase price of $275.8 million (see Footnote 3 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements).

[11] During the year ended December 31, 2014, the Company acquired four properties from a joint venture in which the Company has a noncontrolling interest for a total sales price of $116.2 million (see Footnote 3 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements).

[12] During the year ended December 31, 2014, two joint ventures in which the Company holds a noncontrolling interest sold two operating properties for an aggregate sales price of $46.6 million and recognized an aggregate gain of $11.1 million. The Company's share of this gain was $2.2 million.

[13] During the year ended December 31, 2014, the Company sold its noncontrolling interest in 14 operating properties located throughout Mexico based on a gross aggregate sales price of $324.5 million. The Company recognized a net gain of $39.1 million, before income taxes of $9.0 million.

[14] During the year ended December 31, 2014, a joint venture in which the Company holds a noncontrolling interest sold 16 operating properties for an aggregate sales price of $199.5 million and recognized an aggregate gain of $62.9 million. The Company's share of this gain was $31.7 million.

[15] During the year ended December 31, 2014, the Company acquired a partners' interest in a joint venture in which the Company had a noncontrolling interest for a total price of $3.0 million (see Footnote 3 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements).