Guarantor Disclosure - Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	$ 32,723
Merger with Equity One	(648,957)
Real estate development and capital improvements	(66,504)
Proceeds from sale of real estate investments	1,749	$ 34,321
Proceeds from sale of real estate investments	(510)
Investments in real estate partnerships	(1,688)
Distributions received from investments in real estate partnerships	25,428
Dividends on investment securities	55
Acquisition of securities	(3,334)
Distribution received from subsidiary	0
Repayment from subsidiary	0
Proceeds from sale of securities	(3,815)
Net cash used in investing activities	(689,946)
Proceeds from sale of treasury stock	76
Repurchase of common shares in conjunction with equity award plans	(18,275)
Redemption of preferred stock and partnership units	(250,000)
Distributions to limited partners in consolidated partnerships, net	(786)
Distributions to exchangeable operating partnership unit holders	(79)
Dividends paid to common stockholders	(53,289)
Dividends paid to preferred stockholders	(3,241)
Proceeds from issuance of fixed rate unsecured notes, net	646,424
Proceeds from unsecured credit facilities	740,000
Repayment of unsecured credit facilities	(360,000)
Proceeds from notes payable	1,577
Repayment of notes payable	(11,422)
Scheduled principal payments	(1,367)
Payment of loan costs	(8,796)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	680,822
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	23,599
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the period	13,256
Cash and cash equivalents at end of the period	36,855
Eliminating Entries [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	(93,770)
Merger with Equity One	0
Real estate development and capital improvements	0
Proceeds from sale of real estate investments	0
Proceeds from sale of real estate investments	0
Investments in real estate partnerships	0
Distributions received from investments in real estate partnerships	0
Dividends on investment securities	0
Acquisition of securities	0
Distribution received from subsidiary	(268,274)
Repayment from subsidiary	0
Proceeds from sale of securities	0
Net cash used in investing activities	(268,274)
Proceeds from sale of treasury stock	0
Repurchase of common shares in conjunction with equity award plans	18,275
Redemption of preferred stock and partnership units	250,000
Distributions to limited partners in consolidated partnerships, net	0
Distributions to exchangeable operating partnership unit holders	0
Dividends paid to common stockholders	90,528
Dividends paid to preferred stockholders	3,241
Proceeds from issuance of fixed rate unsecured notes, net	0
Proceeds from unsecured credit facilities	0
Repayment of unsecured credit facilities	0
Proceeds from notes payable	0
Repayment of notes payable	0
Scheduled principal payments	0
Payment of loan costs	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	362,044
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the period	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of the period	0
Regency Centers, L.P. [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	(41,028)
Merger with Equity One	(648,957)
Real estate development and capital improvements	(5,117)
Proceeds from sale of real estate investments	1,749
Proceeds from sale of real estate investments	(510)
Investments in real estate partnerships	(1,688)
Distributions received from investments in real estate partnerships	25,428
Dividends on investment securities	55
Acquisition of securities	(3,334)
Distribution received from subsidiary	0
Repayment from subsidiary	0
Proceeds from sale of securities	(3,815)
Net cash used in investing activities	(628,559)
Proceeds from sale of treasury stock	76
Repurchase of common shares in conjunction with equity award plans	(18,275)
Redemption of preferred stock and partnership units	(250,000)
Distributions to limited partners in consolidated partnerships, net	(786)
Distributions to exchangeable operating partnership unit holders	(79)
Dividends paid to common stockholders	(53,289)
Dividends paid to preferred stockholders	(3,241)
Proceeds from issuance of fixed rate unsecured notes, net	646,424
Proceeds from unsecured credit facilities	740,000
Repayment of unsecured credit facilities	(360,000)
Proceeds from notes payable	0
Repayment of notes payable	0
Scheduled principal payments	0
Payment of loan costs	(7,644)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	693,186
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	23,599
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the period	13,256
Cash and cash equivalents at end of the period	36,855
Regency Centers Corporation [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	56,531
Merger with Equity One	0
Real estate development and capital improvements	0
Proceeds from sale of real estate investments	0
Proceeds from sale of real estate investments	0
Investments in real estate partnerships	0
Distributions received from investments in real estate partnerships	0
Dividends on investment securities	0
Acquisition of securities	0
Distribution received from subsidiary	268,274
Repayment from subsidiary	0
Proceeds from sale of securities	0
Net cash used in investing activities	268,274
Proceeds from sale of treasury stock	0
Repurchase of common shares in conjunction with equity award plans	(18,275)
Redemption of preferred stock and partnership units	(250,000)
Distributions to limited partners in consolidated partnerships, net	0
Distributions to exchangeable operating partnership unit holders	0
Dividends paid to common stockholders	(53,289)
Dividends paid to preferred stockholders	(3,241)
Proceeds from issuance of fixed rate unsecured notes, net	0
Proceeds from unsecured credit facilities	0
Repayment of unsecured credit facilities	0
Proceeds from notes payable	0
Repayment of notes payable	0
Scheduled principal payments	0
Payment of loan costs	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(324,805)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the period	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of the period	0
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	11,837
Merger with Equity One	0
Real estate development and capital improvements	0
Proceeds from sale of real estate investments	0
Proceeds from sale of real estate investments	0
Investments in real estate partnerships	0
Distributions received from investments in real estate partnerships	0
Dividends on investment securities	0
Acquisition of securities	0
Distribution received from subsidiary	0
Repayment from subsidiary	0
Proceeds from sale of securities	0
Net cash used in investing activities	0
Proceeds from sale of treasury stock	0
Repurchase of common shares in conjunction with equity award plans	0
Redemption of preferred stock and partnership units	0
Distributions to limited partners in consolidated partnerships, net	0
Distributions to exchangeable operating partnership unit holders	0
Dividends paid to common stockholders	(11,640)
Dividends paid to preferred stockholders	0
Proceeds from issuance of fixed rate unsecured notes, net	0
Proceeds from unsecured credit facilities	0
Repayment of unsecured credit facilities	0
Proceeds from notes payable	0
Repayment of notes payable	(197)
Scheduled principal payments	0
Payment of loan costs	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(11,837)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the period	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of the period	0
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	99,153
Merger with Equity One	0
Real estate development and capital improvements	(61,387)
Proceeds from sale of real estate investments	0
Proceeds from sale of real estate investments	0
Investments in real estate partnerships	0
Distributions received from investments in real estate partnerships	0
Dividends on investment securities	0
Acquisition of securities	0
Distribution received from subsidiary	0
Repayment from subsidiary	0
Proceeds from sale of securities	0
Net cash used in investing activities	(61,387)
Proceeds from sale of treasury stock	0
Repurchase of common shares in conjunction with equity award plans	0
Redemption of preferred stock and partnership units	0
Distributions to limited partners in consolidated partnerships, net	0
Distributions to exchangeable operating partnership unit holders	0
Dividends paid to common stockholders	(25,599)
Dividends paid to preferred stockholders	0
Proceeds from issuance of fixed rate unsecured notes, net	0
Proceeds from unsecured credit facilities	0
Repayment of unsecured credit facilities
Proceeds from notes payable	1,577
Repayment of notes payable	(11,225)
Scheduled principal payments	(1,367)
Payment of loan costs	(1,152)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(37,766)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the period	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of the period	$ 0