Business Segments - Segment Reporting, Reconciliation of Revenues, Operating Income and Assets (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019	Sep. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues	$ 826,016	$ 942,181	$ 790,372	$ 772,052	$ 807,085	$ 682,432	$ 621,276	$ 693,656	$ 3,330,621	$ 2,804,449	$ 2,618,134
Operating income	559,640	471,480	442,056	376,590	598,646	375,579	281,555	432,218	1,849,766	1,687,998	1,954,031
General and administrative expenses									266,718	238,985	231,059
Depreciation and amortization expenses									1,139,879	947,214	879,140
Gains on dispositions of development properties and land, net	164,260	63,935	196,941	42,441	140,531	108,049	63,669	157,568	467,577	469,817	327,528
Gains on other dispositions of investments in real estate, net	157,841	$ 59,379	$ 27,254	$ 145,767	217,035	$ 86,009	$ 30,592	$ 37,543	390,241	371,179	855,437
Earnings from unconsolidated entities, net									200,178	298,260	248,567
Interest expense									(239,953)	(229,141)	(274,486)
Interest and other income, net									24,213	14,663	13,731
Foreign currency and derivative gains (losses), net									(41,715)	117,096	(57,896)
Losses on early extinguishment of debt, net									(16,126)	(2,586)	(68,379)
Earnings before income taxes									1,776,363	1,886,290	1,815,568
Total assets	40,031,850				38,417,664				40,031,850	38,417,664
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated entities	6,237,371				5,745,294				6,237,371	5,745,294
Assets held for sale or contribution	720,685				622,288				720,685	622,288
Lease right-of-use assets	486,330				0				486,330	0
Cash and cash equivalents	1,088,855				343,856				1,088,855	343,856	447,046	$ 807,316
Other assets	1,711,857				1,775,919				1,711,857	1,775,919
Real Estate Operations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total assets	31,590,756				31,431,376				31,590,756	31,431,376
Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating income									2,398,545	2,033,201	1,881,265
Total assets	31,630,924				31,472,913				31,630,924	31,472,913
Operating Segments [Member] | Real Estate Operations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues									2,838,735	2,398,149	2,244,245
Operating income									2,091,320	1,783,941	1,662,517
Operating Segments [Member] | Strategic Capital [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues									491,886	406,300	373,889
Operating income									307,225	249,260	218,748
Total assets	40,168				41,537				40,168	41,537
Operating Segments [Member] | U.S. [Member] | Real Estate Operations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues									2,645,194	2,173,279	2,025,184
Operating income									1,953,727	1,621,665	1,519,164
Total assets	27,999,868				27,666,200				27,999,868	27,666,200
Operating Segments [Member] | U.S. [Member] | Strategic Capital [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues									86,271	74,618	176,720
Operating income									(10,945)	4,712	106,471
Total assets	14,529				15,802				14,529	15,802
Operating Segments [Member] | Other Americas [Member] | Real Estate Operations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues									94,984	119,954	84,789
Operating income									69,393	89,044	58,842
Total assets	1,332,237				1,712,862				1,332,237	1,712,862
Operating Segments [Member] | Other Americas [Member] | Strategic Capital [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues									40,347	32,434	28,494
Operating income									27,369	19,874	16,811
Operating Segments [Member] | Europe [Member] | Real Estate Operations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues									44,356	54,405	73,708
Operating income									27,525	34,807	51,277
Total assets	1,379,579				1,040,061				1,379,579	1,040,061
Operating Segments [Member] | Europe [Member] | Strategic Capital [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues									283,909	174,898	106,862
Operating income									246,213	136,240	68,127
Total assets	25,280				25,280				25,280	25,280
Operating Segments [Member] | Asia [Member] | Real Estate Operations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues									54,201	50,511	60,564
Operating income									40,675	38,425	33,234
Total assets	879,072				1,012,253				879,072	1,012,253
Operating Segments [Member] | Asia [Member] | Strategic Capital [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues									81,359	124,350	61,813
Operating income									44,588	88,434	27,339
Total assets	359				455				359	455
Reconciling Items [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating income									1,849,766	1,687,998	1,954,031
General and administrative expenses									(266,718)	(238,985)	(231,059)
Depreciation and amortization expenses									(1,139,879)	(947,214)	(879,140)
Gains on dispositions of development properties and land, net									467,577	469,817	327,528
Gains on other dispositions of investments in real estate, net									390,241	371,179	855,437
Earnings from unconsolidated entities, net									200,178	298,260	248,567
Interest expense									(239,953)	(229,141)	(274,486)
Interest and other income, net									24,213	14,663	13,731
Foreign currency and derivative gains (losses), net									(41,715)	117,096	(57,896)
Losses on early extinguishment of debt, net									(16,126)	(2,586)	$ (68,379)
Total assets	8,400,926				6,944,751				8,400,926	6,944,751
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated entities	6,237,371				5,745,294				6,237,371	5,745,294
Assets held for sale or contribution	720,685				622,288				720,685	622,288
Lease right-of-use assets	111,439				0				111,439	0
Cash and cash equivalents	1,088,855				343,856				1,088,855	343,856
Other assets	$ 242,576				$ 233,313				$ 242,576	$ 233,313