EQUITY AND REDEEMABLE NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS (Details) (USD $)	1 Months Ended					3 Months Ended				3 Months Ended				0 Months Ended		3 Months Ended
	Feb. 28, 2013	Nov. 30, 2012	Aug. 31, 2012	May 31, 2012	Feb. 29, 2012	Mar. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2012	Mar. 28, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Mar. 31, 2013 Series B	Mar. 31, 2013 Series D	Mar. 31, 2013 Series E	Mar. 31, 2013 Series C	Feb. 13, 2013 6.375% series a cumulative redeemable perpetual preferred stock Preferred stock issuance	Mar. 31, 2013 6.375% series a cumulative redeemable perpetual preferred stock Preferred stock issuance	Mar. 31, 2013 6.375% series a cumulative redeemable perpetual preferred stock Preferred stock issuance Maximum
EQUITY AND REDEEMABLE NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS
Estimated payments for repurchase of redeemable noncontrolling interest						$ 127,600,000
Conversion ratio for convertible common units to common stock						1
Allocation to Noncontrolling Interests
Distributions to preferred Operating Partnership units						(2,336,000)	(5,434,000)
Net loss allocation to noncontrolling interests in operating partnership from continuing operations (common units)						85,000	1,318,000
Net (income) loss allocated to noncontrolling interest in consolidated real estate affiliates						(537,000)	749,000
Allocation to noncontrolling interests						(2,788,000)	(3,367,000)
Other comprehensive (income) loss allocation to noncontrolling interests						(53,000)	(96,000)
Comprehensive (income) loss allocated to noncontrolling interests						(2,841,000)	(3,463,000)
Unit Conversions Disclosures
Number of Common Units for each Preferred unit										3.00000	1.50821	1.29836	1.00000
Number of Contractual Convertible Preferred Units Outstanding										1,279,715	532,750	502,658	20,000
Converted Basis to Common Units Outstanding										3,991,799	803,499	652,631	20,000
Conversion Price (in dollars per share)										$ 16.66670	$ 33.15188	$ 38.51000	$ 250.00000
Redemption Value						136,127,286				79,356,964	26,637,502	25,132,820	5,000,000
GGP stock price per share								$ 19.88	$ 19.85	$ 19.88
Activity of redeemable noncontrolling interests
Balance at the beginning of the period						268,219,000	223,795,000
Net loss						(85,000)	(1,318,000)
Distributions						(732,000)	(685,000)
Cash redemption of operating partnership units						(3,328,000)
Dividend for RPI Spin-Off							3,137,000
Other comprehensive income						53,000	96,000
Fair value adjustment for noncontrolling interests in Operating Partnership						(427,000)	16,119,000
Balance at the end of the period						263,700,000	241,144,000
Common Stock Dividend and Purchase of Common Stock
Dividends declared per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.12	$ 0.11	$ 0.11	$ 0.10	$ 0.10	$ 0.12	$ 0.10
Number of shares issued due to DRIP elections for dividends declared						7,178	2,294,684
Number of preferred shares redeemed through public offering														10,000,000
Preferred shares dividend (as a percent)														637.50%
Issue Price (in dollars per share)														$ 25.00
Net proceeds from preferred shares issued after issuance costs						$ 242,042,000								$ 242,000,000
Redemption price per share (in dollars per share)															$ 25.00
Conversion of preferred share per common share issued upon conversion																$ 2.4679