Note 5 - Investments and Advances in Real Estate Joint Ventures (Detail) - Joint Venture Investments Accounted For Under The Equity Method - Investment Details (Current Period) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2012 sqft		Mar. 31, 2011		Dec. 31, 2011 sqft
Number of Properties					690
Total GLA (in Square feet)	728,000				84,400,000
Gross Investment In Real Estate					$ 13,461,100,000
The Company's Investment					1,404,200,000
The Company's Share of Income/(Loss)	36,746,000		12,345,000
KimPru and KimPru II [Member]
Average Ownership Interest	15.00%	[1],[2]			15.00%	[1],[2]
Number of Properties	62	[1],[2]			63	[1],[2]
Total GLA (in Square feet)	10,700,000	[1],[2]			10,900,000	[1],[2]
Gross Investment In Real Estate	2,750,000,000	[1],[2]			2,781,400,000	[1],[2]
The Company's Investment	161,300,000	[1],[2]			151,900,000	[1],[2]
The Company's Share of Income/(Loss)	2,000,000	[1],[2]	(2,600,000)	[1],[2]
Kimco Income Opportunity Portfolio (“KIR”) [Member]
Average Ownership Interest	45.00%	[1]
Number of Properties	59	[1]
Total GLA (in Square feet)	12,600,000	[1]
Gross Investment In Real Estate	1,556,200,000	[1]
The Company's Investment	152,300,000	[1]
The Company's Share of Income/(Loss)	6,000,000	[1]
UBS Programs [Member]
Average Ownership Interest	17.90%	[1],[3]			17.90%	[1],[3]
Number of Properties	41	[1]			42	[1]
Total GLA (in Square feet)	5,800,000	[1]			5,900,000	[1]
Gross Investment In Real Estate	1,315,700,000	[1]			1,330,500,000	[1]
The Company's Investment	60,700,000	[1]			61,300,000	[1]
The Company's Share of Income/(Loss)	(200,000)	[1]	500,000	[1]
BIG Shopping Centers [Member]
Average Ownership Interest	37.70%	[1],[3]			37.60%	[1],[3]
Number of Properties	23	[1]			23	[1]
Total GLA (in Square feet)	3,800,000	[1]			3,700,000	[1]
Gross Investment In Real Estate	557,800,000	[1]			557,400,000	[1]
The Company's Investment	39,400,000	[1]			41,200,000	[1]
The Company's Share of Income/(Loss)	(700,000)	[1]	(600,000)	[1]
The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (“CPP”) [Member]
Average Ownership Interest	55.00%	[1]
Number of Properties	6	[1]
Total GLA (in Square feet)	2,400,000	[1]
Gross Investment In Real Estate	430,400,000	[1]
The Company's Investment	139,000,000	[1]
The Company's Share of Income/(Loss)	1,300,000	[1]
Kimco Income Fund [Member]
Average Ownership Interest	15.20%	[1]			15.20%	[1]
Number of Properties	12	[1]			12	[1]
Total GLA (in Square feet)	1,500,000	[1]			1,500,000	[1]
Gross Investment In Real Estate	281,400,000	[1]			281,100,000	[1]
The Company's Investment	12,500,000	[1]			12,100,000	[1]
The Company's Share of Income/(Loss)	800,000	[1]	300,000	[1]
SEB Immobilien [Member]
Average Ownership Interest	15.00%	[1]			15.00%	[1]
Number of Properties	13	[1]			13	[1]
Total GLA (in Square feet)	1,800,000	[1]			1,800,000	[1]
Gross Investment In Real Estate	360,500,000	[1]			360,500,000	[1]
The Company's Investment	1,900,000	[1]			2,100,000	[1]
The Company's Share of Income/(Loss)	100,000	[1]	100,000	[1]
Other Institutional Programs [Member]
Number of Properties	65	[1]			67	[1]
Total GLA (in Square feet)	4,400,000	[1]			4,700,000	[1]
Gross Investment In Real Estate	742,700,000	[1]			804,400,000	[1]
The Company's Investment	32,800,000	[1]			33,700,000	[1]
The Company's Share of Income/(Loss)	5,000,000	[1]	400,000	[1]
RioCan [Member]
Average Ownership Interest	50.00%				50.00%
Number of Properties	45				45
Total GLA (in Square feet)	9,300,000				9,300,000
Gross Investment In Real Estate	1,363,200,000				1,367,000,000
The Company's Investment	78,800,000				62,200,000
The Company's Share of Income/(Loss)	5,200,000		4,900,000
Intown [Member]
Number of Properties	138	[4]			138	[4]
Gross Investment In Real Estate	833,000,000	[4]			829,900,000	[4]
The Company's Investment	89,400,000	[4]			90,800,000	[4]
The Company's Share of Income/(Loss)	500,000	[4]	(1,000,000)	[4]
Latin America [Member]
Number of Properties	130				130
Total GLA (in Square feet)	17,900,000				17,900,000
Gross Investment In Real Estate	1,198,700,000				1,145,800,000
The Company's Investment	330,800,000				318,000,000
The Company's Share of Income/(Loss)	2,700,000		2,800,000
Other Joint Venture Programs [Member]
Number of Properties	91	[5],[6],[7],[8]			92
Total GLA (in Square feet)	13,200,000	[5],[6],[7],[8]			13,700,000
Gross Investment In Real Estate	1,934,500,000	[5],[6],[7],[8]			2,016,500,000
The Company's Investment	317,400,000	[5],[6],[7],[8]			338,900,000
The Company's Share of Income/(Loss)	14,000,000	[5],[6],[7],[8]	1,300,000
Total [Member]
Number of Properties	685
Total GLA (in Square feet)	83,400,000
Gross Investment In Real Estate	13,324,100,000
The Company's Investment	1,416,300,000
The Company's Share of Income/(Loss)	$ 36,700,000

[1] The Company manages these joint venture investments and, where applicable, earns acquisition fees, leasing commissions, property management fees, assets 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] Ownership % is a blended rate

[4] The Company's share of this investment is subject to fluctuation and is dependent upon property cash flows.

[5] During the three months ended March 31, 2012, a joint venture in which the Company holds a noncontrolling interest sold an operating property for a sales price of approximately $62.0 million.

[6] During the three months ended March 31, 2012, two joint ventures in which the Company holds noncontrolling interests sold two properties for an aggregate sales price of approximately $118.0 million. The Company received distributions of approximately $9.4 million and recognized an aggregate gain of approximately $8.9 million.

[7] During the three months ended March 31, 2012, a joint venture in which the Company holds a noncontrolling interest sold two encumbered operating properties to the Company for an aggregate sales price of approximately $75.5 million. The Company recognized promote income of approximately $2.0 million.

[8] During 2012, the Company amended one of its Canadian preferred equity investment agreements to restructure the investment as pari passu joint ventures in which the Company holds noncontrolling interests. 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 Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.