Segment Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
		Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2015
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues		$ 254,965	$ 253,843	$ 518,043	$ 514,752
Property operating expenses		(65,684)	(67,822)	(141,888)	(143,727)
Interest expense		(53,187)	(58,754)	(108,418)	(117,911)
Other expense		(5,052)	(5,928)	(14,737)	(12,404)
Gain on sales of real estate assets		9,577	14,173	9,577	14,930
Segment profit (loss)		140,619	135,512	262,577	255,640
Depreciation and amortization expense		(72,205)	(71,239)	(148,711)	(147,505)
General and administrative expense		(16,475)	(16,215)	(33,643)	(33,445)
Interest and other income		251	389	611	5,663
Gain on extinguishment of debt		0	256	6	256
Loss on impairment		(43,493)	(2,781)	(63,178)	(2,781)
Gain on investment		0	0	0	16,560
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates		64,349	4,881	96,739	8,704
Income tax benefit (provision)		51	(2,472)	588	(1,556)
Income from continuing operations		73,097	48,331	114,989	101,536
Capital expenditures		31,374	252,986	82,520	276,511
Total Assets	[1]	6,280,136		6,280,136		$ 6,479,991
Malls
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Assets		5,538,204		5,538,204		5,766,084
Associated Centers
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Assets		247,326		247,326		252,188
Community Centers
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Assets		266,368		266,368		263,614
All Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Assets		228,238		228,238		$ 198,105
Operating Segments | Malls
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues		232,746	223,744	471,488	454,015
Property operating expenses		(65,409)	(65,048)	(140,786)	(138,997)
Interest expense		(35,486)	(43,882)	(69,881)	(87,580)
Other expense		0	0	0	0
Gain on sales of real estate assets		140	0	140	264
Segment profit (loss)		131,991	114,814	260,961	227,702
Capital expenditures		12,770	229,931	61,321	260,297
Operating Segments | Associated Centers
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues		9,857	10,064	20,099	20,471
Property operating expenses		(2,127)	(2,350)	(4,699)	(4,946)
Interest expense		(1,431)	(1,873)	(3,133)	(3,829)
Other expense		0	0	0	0
Gain on sales of real estate assets		478	13,491	478	13,491
Segment profit (loss)		6,777	19,332	12,745	25,187
Capital expenditures		1,671	4,518	3,097	1,390
Operating Segments | Community Centers
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues		4,488	5,013	9,970	9,694
Property operating expenses		(1,260)	(1,154)	(2,403)	(2,278)
Interest expense		(66)	(1,035)	(364)	(2,230)
Other expense		0	0	0	0
Gain on sales of real estate assets		3,281	0	3,281	0
Segment profit (loss)		6,443	2,824	10,484	5,186
Capital expenditures		540	1,197	968	1,395
Operating Segments | All Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues		7,874	15,022	16,486	30,572
Property operating expenses		3,112	730	6,000	2,494
Interest expense		(16,204)	(11,964)	(35,040)	(24,272)
Other expense		(5,052)	(5,928)	(14,737)	(12,404)
Gain on sales of real estate assets		5,678	682	5,678	1,175
Segment profit (loss)		(4,592)	(1,458)	(21,613)	(2,435)
Capital expenditures		$ 16,393	$ 17,340	$ 17,134	$ 13,429

[1] As of June 30, 2016, includes $601,652 of assets related to consolidated variable interest entities that can be used only to settle obligations of the consolidated variable interest entities and $470,789 of liabilities of consolidated variable interest entities for which creditors do not have recourse to the general credit of the Company. See Note 5.