Business Segments - Segment Reporting, Reconciliation of Revenues, Operating Income and Assets (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Sep. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2020	Mar. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Sep. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues	$ 1,111,597	$ 1,082,773	$ 1,266,124	$ 978,241	$ 826,016	$ 942,181	$ 790,372	$ 772,052	$ 4,438,735	$ 3,330,621	$ 2,804,449
Operating income	482,380	556,520	611,987	468,057	559,640	471,480	442,056	376,590	2,118,944	1,849,766	1,687,998
General and administrative expenses									274,845	266,718	238,985
Depreciation and amortization expenses									1,561,969	1,139,879	947,214
Gains on dispositions of development properties and land, net	81,569	134,207	86,416	162,750	164,260	63,935	196,941	42,441	464,942	467,577	469,817
Gains on other dispositions of investments in real estate, net	67,838	$ 108,927	$ 43,939	$ 31,491	157,841	$ 59,379	$ 27,254	$ 145,767	252,195	390,241	371,179
Earnings from unconsolidated entities, net									297,370	200,178	298,260
Interest expense									(314,507)	(239,953)	(229,141)
Interest and other income, net									1,044	24,213	14,663
Foreign currency and derivative gains (losses), net									(167,473)	(41,715)	117,096
Losses on early extinguishment of debt, net									(188,290)	(16,126)	(2,586)
Earnings before income taxes									1,747,088	1,776,363	1,886,290
Total assets	56,065,005				40,031,850				56,065,005	40,031,850
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated entities	7,602,014				6,237,371				7,602,014	6,237,371
Assets held for sale or contribution	1,070,724				720,685				1,070,724	720,685
Lease right-of-use assets	492,801				486,330				492,801	486,330
Cash and cash equivalents	598,086				1,088,855				598,086	1,088,855	343,856	$ 447,046
Other assets	2,456,208				1,711,857				2,456,208	1,711,857
Real Estate Operations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total assets	46,390,991				31,590,756				46,390,991	31,590,756
Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating income									3,238,621	2,398,545	2,033,201
Total assets	46,429,882				31,630,924				46,429,882	31,630,924
Operating Segments [Member] | Real Estate Operations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues									3,801,748	2,838,735	2,398,149
Operating income									2,819,675	2,091,320	1,783,941
Operating Segments [Member] | Strategic Capital [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues									636,987	491,886	406,300
Operating income									418,946	307,225	249,260
Total assets	38,891				40,168				38,891	40,168
Operating Segments [Member] | U.S. [Member] | Real Estate Operations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues									3,600,335	2,645,194	2,173,279
Operating income									2,679,685	1,953,727	1,621,665
Total assets	42,559,023				27,999,868				42,559,023	27,999,868
Operating Segments [Member] | U.S. [Member] | Strategic Capital [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues									354,825	86,271	74,618
Operating income									237,271	(10,945)	4,712
Total assets	13,257				14,529				13,257	14,529
Operating Segments [Member] | Other Americas [Member] | Real Estate Operations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues									87,830	94,984	119,954
Operating income									64,473	69,393	89,044
Total assets	1,145,699				1,332,237				1,145,699	1,332,237
Operating Segments [Member] | Other Americas [Member] | Strategic Capital [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues									37,696	40,347	32,434
Operating income									24,923	27,369	19,874
Operating Segments [Member] | Europe [Member] | Real Estate Operations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues									68,801	44,356	54,405
Operating income									43,531	27,525	34,807
Total assets	1,604,393				1,379,579				1,604,393	1,379,579
Operating Segments [Member] | Europe [Member] | Strategic Capital [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues									145,016	283,909	174,898
Operating income									99,504	246,213	136,240
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									44,782	54,201	50,511
Operating income									31,986	40,675	38,425
Total assets	1,081,876				879,072				1,081,876	879,072
Operating Segments [Member] | Asia [Member] | Strategic Capital [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues									99,450	81,359	124,350
Operating income									57,248	44,588	88,434
Total assets	354				359				354	359
Reconciling Items [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating income									2,118,944	1,849,766	1,687,998
General and administrative expenses									(274,845)	(266,718)	(238,985)
Depreciation and amortization expenses									(1,561,969)	(1,139,879)	(947,214)
Gains on dispositions of development properties and land, net									464,942	467,577	469,817
Gains on other dispositions of investments in real estate, net									252,195	390,241	371,179
Earnings from unconsolidated entities, net									297,370	200,178	298,260
Interest expense									(314,507)	(239,953)	(229,141)
Interest and other income, net									1,044	24,213	14,663
Foreign currency and derivative gains (losses), net									(167,473)	(41,715)	117,096
Losses on early extinguishment of debt, net									(188,290)	(16,126)	$ (2,586)
Total assets	9,635,123				8,400,926				9,635,123	8,400,926
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated entities	7,602,014				6,237,371				7,602,014	6,237,371
Assets held for sale or contribution	1,070,724				720,685				1,070,724	720,685
Lease right-of-use assets	125,670				111,439				125,670	111,439
Cash and cash equivalents	598,086				1,088,855				598,086	1,088,855
Other assets	$ 238,629				$ 242,576				$ 238,629	$ 242,576