Segment Information (Details 1) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012	Jan. 31, 2013
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders	$ 153,329,000	$ (18,809,000)	$ 117,495,000	$ (47,474,000)
Preferred dividends and inducements of preferred stock conversion	0	17,731,000	185,000	25,431,000
Preferred dividends	0		185,000		13,060,000
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	153,329,000	(1,078,000)	117,680,000	(22,043,000)
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	85,100,000	55,479,000	245,305,000	155,714,000
Net gain on disposition of partial interests in rental properties	(491,160,000)	0	(496,092,000)	0
Gain on disposition of unconsolidated entities	(34,281,000)		(32,771,000)	(16,107,000)
Impairment of consolidated depreciable real estate	87,317,000	30,200,000	95,372,000	30,660,000
Impairment of unconsolidated depreciable real estate	0	0	0	390,000
Discontinued operations:
Gain on disposition of rental properties	(1,114,000)	(19,299,000)	(38,382,000)	(27,213,000)
Impairment of consolidated depreciable real estate		164,000		4,254,000
Income tax benefit (expense) on non-FFO:
Gain on disposition of rental properties	204,162,000	7,893,000	220,993,000	17,174,000
Impairment of depreciable real estate	(33,864,000)	(11,776,000)	(36,988,000)	(13,692,000)
FFO	(19,002,000)	79,630,000	112,824,000	189,859,000
Real Estate Groups [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	96,609,000	70,908,000	281,012,000	206,833,000
Discontinued operations:
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups		2,618,000	2,000,000	9,603,000
Commercial Group [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders	281,664,000	2,405,000	287,956,000	79,366,000
Preferred dividends and inducements of preferred stock conversion		0		0
Preferred dividends	0		0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	281,664,000	2,405,000	287,956,000	79,366,000
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	56,396,000	40,224,000	169,775,000	116,179,000
Net gain on disposition of partial interests in rental properties	(491,160,000)		(496,092,000)
Gain on disposition of unconsolidated entities	(34,281,000)		(32,771,000)	(16,107,000)
Impairment of consolidated depreciable real estate	87,317,000	30,200,000	94,187,000	30,660,000
Impairment of unconsolidated depreciable real estate				0
Discontinued operations:
Gain on disposition of rental properties	(1,114,000)	(5,854,000)	(22,354,000)	(13,768,000)
Impairment of consolidated depreciable real estate		164,000		4,254,000
Income tax benefit (expense) on non-FFO:
Gain on disposition of rental properties	0	0	0	0
Impairment of depreciable real estate	0	0	0	0
FFO	(89,909,000)	77,336,000	31,502,000	235,268,000
Commercial Group [Member] | Real Estate Groups [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	67,665,000	48,490,000	198,741,000	143,851,000
Discontinued operations:
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups		1,931,000	1,835,000	7,012,000
Residential Group [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders	12,512,000	24,925,000	31,320,000	46,171,000
Preferred dividends and inducements of preferred stock conversion		0		0
Preferred dividends	0		0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	12,512,000	24,925,000	31,320,000	46,171,000
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	15,511,000	12,133,000	43,345,000	35,581,000
Net gain on disposition of partial interests in rental properties	0		0
Gain on disposition of unconsolidated entities	0		0	0
Impairment of consolidated depreciable real estate	0	0	1,185,000	0
Impairment of unconsolidated depreciable real estate				0
Discontinued operations:
Gain on disposition of rental properties	0	(13,445,000)	(16,028,000)	(13,445,000)
Impairment of consolidated depreciable real estate		0		0
Income tax benefit (expense) on non-FFO:
Gain on disposition of rental properties	0	0	0	0
Impairment of depreciable real estate	0	0	0	0
FFO	34,266,000	33,042,000	81,594,000	96,547,000
Residential Group [Member] | Real Estate Groups [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	21,754,000	20,875,000	64,952,000	61,230,000
Discontinued operations:
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups		687,000	165,000	2,591,000
Arena [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders	(6,481,000)	881,000	(19,996,000)	3,493,000
Preferred dividends and inducements of preferred stock conversion		0		0
Preferred dividends	0		0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	(6,481,000)	881,000	(19,996,000)	3,493,000
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	12,394,000	2,491,000	29,670,000	2,491,000
Net gain on disposition of partial interests in rental properties	0		0
Gain on disposition of unconsolidated entities	0		0	0
Impairment of consolidated depreciable real estate	0	0	0	0
Impairment of unconsolidated depreciable real estate				0
Discontinued operations:
Gain on disposition of rental properties	0	0	0	0
Impairment of consolidated depreciable real estate		0		0
Income tax benefit (expense) on non-FFO:
Gain on disposition of rental properties	0	0	0	0
Impairment of depreciable real estate	0	0	0	0
FFO	662,000	2,278,000	(2,906,000)	4,890,000
Arena [Member] | Real Estate Groups [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	7,143,000	1,397,000	17,090,000	1,397,000
Discontinued operations:
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups		0	0	0
Land Development Group [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders	6,549,000	469,000	11,918,000	(47,672,000)
Preferred dividends and inducements of preferred stock conversion		0		0
Preferred dividends	0		0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	6,549,000	469,000	11,918,000	(47,672,000)
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	98,000	202,000	298,000	448,000
Net gain on disposition of partial interests in rental properties	0		0
Gain on disposition of unconsolidated entities	0		0	0
Impairment of consolidated depreciable real estate	0	0	0	0
Impairment of unconsolidated depreciable real estate				390,000
Discontinued operations:
Gain on disposition of rental properties	0	0	0	0
Impairment of consolidated depreciable real estate		0		0
Income tax benefit (expense) on non-FFO:
Gain on disposition of rental properties	0	0	0	0
Impairment of depreciable real estate	0	0	0	0
FFO	6,596,000	615,000	12,147,000	(46,927,000)
Land Development Group [Member] | Real Estate Groups [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	47,000	146,000	229,000	355,000
Discontinued operations:
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups		0	0	0
The Nets [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders	(50,000)	(7,477,000)	(2,763,000)	(22,707,000)
Preferred dividends and inducements of preferred stock conversion		0		0
Preferred dividends	0		0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	(50,000)	(7,477,000)	(2,763,000)	(22,707,000)
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	0	0	0	0
Net gain on disposition of partial interests in rental properties	0		0
Gain on disposition of unconsolidated entities	0		0	0
Impairment of consolidated depreciable real estate	0	0	0	0
Impairment of unconsolidated depreciable real estate				0
Discontinued operations:
Gain on disposition of rental properties	0	0	0	0
Impairment of consolidated depreciable real estate		0		0
Income tax benefit (expense) on non-FFO:
Gain on disposition of rental properties	0	0	0	0
Impairment of depreciable real estate	0	0	0	0
FFO	(50,000)	(7,477,000)	(2,763,000)	(22,707,000)
The Nets [Member] | Real Estate Groups [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	0	0	0	0
Discontinued operations:
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups		0	0	0
Corporate Activities [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders	(140,865,000)	(40,012,000)	(190,940,000)	(106,125,000)
Preferred dividends and inducements of preferred stock conversion		17,731,000		25,431,000
Preferred dividends	0		185,000
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	(140,865,000)	(22,281,000)	(190,755,000)	(80,694,000)
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	701,000	429,000	2,217,000	1,015,000
Net gain on disposition of partial interests in rental properties	0		0
Gain on disposition of unconsolidated entities	0		0	0
Impairment of consolidated depreciable real estate	0	0	0	0
Impairment of unconsolidated depreciable real estate				0
Discontinued operations:
Gain on disposition of rental properties	0	0	0	0
Impairment of consolidated depreciable real estate		0		0
Income tax benefit (expense) on non-FFO:
Gain on disposition of rental properties	204,162,000	7,893,000	220,993,000	17,174,000
Impairment of depreciable real estate	(33,864,000)	(11,776,000)	(36,988,000)	(13,692,000)
FFO	29,433,000	(26,164,000)	(6,750,000)	(77,212,000)
Corporate Activities [Member] | Real Estate Groups [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	0	0	0	0
Discontinued operations:
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups		$ 0	$ 0	$ 0