Segment Information (Details 1) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	$ 303,756,000	$ (92,992,000)	$ 249,547,000	$ (77,472,000)
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	65,002,000	59,318,000	126,816,000	114,327,000
Net loss on disposition of partial interests in rental properties				467,000
Gain on disposition of unconsolidated entities	(19,284,000)	(16,090,000)	(19,284,000)	(40,886,000)
Impairment of consolidated depreciable real estate		129,059,000		129,059,000
Discontinued operations:
Gain on disposition of rental properties		(1,276,000)		(28,042,000)
Income tax benefit (expense) on non-FFO:
Gain on disposition of rental properties	7,461,000	8,820,000	7,461,000	28,718,000
Impairment of Depreciable Real Estate		(50,053,000)		(50,053,000)
FFO attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	368,647,000	53,129,000	389,218,000	108,458,000
Real Estate Groups [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	76,714,000	75,661,000	151,494,000	145,681,000
Discontinued operations:
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups				986,000
Commercial Group [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	459,947,000	(135,934,000)	459,880,000	(123,604,000)
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	33,722,000	32,193,000	66,573,000	62,452,000
Net loss on disposition of partial interests in rental properties				467,000
Gain on disposition of unconsolidated entities	0	(16,090,000)	0	(16,090,000)
Impairment of consolidated depreciable real estate		129,059,000		129,059,000
Discontinued operations:
Gain on disposition of rental properties		(1,276,000)		(28,042,000)
Income tax benefit (expense) on non-FFO:
Gain on disposition of rental properties	0	0	0	0
Impairment of Depreciable Real Estate		0		0
FFO attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	506,119,000	21,523,000	551,736,000	51,249,000
Commercial Group [Member] | Real Estate Groups [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	46,172,000	45,764,000	91,856,000	88,473,000
Discontinued operations:
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups				986,000
Residential Group [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	47,793,000	10,934,000	53,430,000	43,101,000
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	21,317,000	17,656,000	40,693,000	33,052,000
Net loss on disposition of partial interests in rental properties				0
Gain on disposition of unconsolidated entities	(19,284,000)	0	(19,284,000)	(24,796,000)
Impairment of consolidated depreciable real estate		0		0
Discontinued operations:
Gain on disposition of rental properties		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
FFO attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	53,617,000	35,789,000	83,254,000	65,497,000
Residential Group [Member] | Real Estate Groups [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	25,108,000	24,855,000	49,108,000	47,192,000
Discontinued operations:
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups				0
Arena [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	(4,982,000)	(4,511,000)	(10,030,000)	(7,803,000)
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	8,802,000	8,674,000	17,592,000	17,206,000
Net loss on disposition of partial interests in rental properties				0
Gain on disposition of unconsolidated entities	0	0	0	0
Impairment of consolidated depreciable real estate		0		0
Discontinued operations:
Gain on disposition of rental properties		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
FFO attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	80,000	489,000	87,000	2,138,000
Arena [Member] | Real Estate Groups [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	5,062,000	5,000,000	10,117,000	9,941,000
Discontinued operations:
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups				0
Land Development Group [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	12,665,000	11,493,000	23,227,000	23,086,000
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	423,000	95,000	512,000	181,000
Net loss on disposition of partial interests in rental properties				0
Gain on disposition of unconsolidated entities	0	0	0	0
Impairment of consolidated depreciable real estate		0		0
Discontinued operations:
Gain on disposition of rental properties		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
FFO attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	13,037,000	11,535,000	23,640,000	23,161,000
Land Development Group [Member] | Real Estate Groups [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	372,000	42,000	413,000	75,000
Discontinued operations:
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups				0
Corporate Activities [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	(211,667,000)	25,026,000	(276,960,000)	(12,252,000)
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	738,000	700,000	1,446,000	1,436,000
Net loss on disposition of partial interests in rental properties				0
Gain on disposition of unconsolidated entities	0	0	0	0
Impairment of consolidated depreciable real estate		0		0
Discontinued operations:
Gain on disposition of rental properties		0		0
Income tax benefit (expense) on non-FFO:
Gain on disposition of rental properties	7,461,000	8,820,000	7,461,000	28,718,000
Impairment of Depreciable Real Estate		(50,053,000)		(50,053,000)
FFO attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	(204,206,000)	(16,207,000)	(269,499,000)	(33,587,000)
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