Segment Information (Details 1) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	$ (302,219,000)	$ 686,000	$ (52,672,000)	$ (76,786,000)
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	79,966,000	55,511,000	206,782,000	169,838,000
Net loss on disposition of full or partial interests in rental properties	(1,746,000)	173,000	(1,746,000)	640,000
Gain on disposition of unconsolidated entities	(1,009,000)	(9,189,000)	(20,293,000)	(50,075,000)
Impairment of consolidated depreciable real estate	409,156,000		409,156,000	129,059,000
Discontinued operations:
Gain on disposition of rental properties				(28,042,000)
Income tax expense (benefit) on non-FFO:
Gain on disposition of rental properties	1,088,000	3,310,000	8,549,000	32,028,000
Impairment of Depreciable Real Estate	(158,805,000)		(158,805,000)	(50,053,000)
FFO attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	37,955,000	65,907,000	427,173,000	174,365,000
Real Estate Groups [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	91,490,000	70,927,000	242,984,000	216,608,000
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.	(407,249,000)	12,190,000	52,631,000	(111,414,000)
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	48,819,000	29,304,000	115,392,000	91,756,000
Net loss on disposition of full or partial interests in rental properties	(1,746,000)	173,000	(1,746,000)	640,000
Gain on disposition of unconsolidated entities	(1,009,000)	(9,189,000)	(1,009,000)	(25,279,000)
Impairment of consolidated depreciable real estate	400,733,000		400,733,000	129,059,000
Discontinued operations:
Gain on disposition of rental properties				(28,042,000)
Income tax expense (benefit) on non-FFO:
Gain on disposition of rental properties	0	0	0	0
Impairment of Depreciable Real Estate	0		0	0
FFO attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	51,581,000	44,899,000	603,317,000	96,148,000
Commercial Group [Member] | Real Estate Groups [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	60,852,000	41,725,000	152,708,000	130,198,000
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.	604,000	5,512,000	54,034,000	48,613,000
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	21,670,000	16,608,000	62,363,000	49,660,000
Net loss on disposition of full or partial interests in rental properties	0	0	0	0
Gain on disposition of unconsolidated entities	0	0	(19,284,000)	(24,796,000)
Impairment of consolidated depreciable real estate	8,423,000		8,423,000	0
Discontinued operations:
Gain on disposition of rental properties				0
Income tax expense (benefit) on non-FFO:
Gain on disposition of rental properties	0	0	0	0
Impairment of Depreciable Real Estate	0		0	0
FFO attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	34,576,000	29,687,000	117,830,000	95,184,000
Residential Group [Member] | Real Estate Groups [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	25,549,000	24,175,000	74,657,000	71,367,000
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.	(5,733,000)	(5,575,000)	(15,763,000)	(13,378,000)
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	8,811,000	8,793,000	26,403,000	25,999,000
Net loss on disposition of full or partial interests in rental properties	0	0	0	0
Gain on disposition of unconsolidated entities	0	0	0	0
Impairment of consolidated depreciable real estate	0		0	0
Discontinued operations:
Gain on disposition of rental properties				0
Income tax expense (benefit) on non-FFO:
Gain on disposition of rental properties	0	0	0	0
Impairment of Depreciable Real Estate	0		0	0
FFO attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	(658,000)	(589,000)	(571,000)	1,549,000
Arena [Member] | Real Estate Groups [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	5,075,000	4,986,000	15,192,000	14,927,000
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.	15,027,000	13,171,000	38,254,000	36,257,000
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	28,000	88,000	540,000	269,000
Net loss on disposition of full or partial interests in rental properties	0	0	0	0
Gain on disposition of unconsolidated entities	0	0	0	0
Impairment of consolidated depreciable real estate	0		0	0
Discontinued operations:
Gain on disposition of rental properties				0
Income tax expense (benefit) on non-FFO:
Gain on disposition of rental properties	0	0	0	0
Impairment of Depreciable Real Estate	0		0	0
FFO attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	15,041,000	13,212,000	38,681,000	36,373,000
Land Development Group [Member] | Real Estate Groups [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	14,000	41,000	427,000	116,000
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.	95,132,000	(24,612,000)	(181,828,000)	(36,864,000)
Depreciation and amortization - Real Estate Groups	638,000	718,000	2,084,000	2,154,000
Net loss on disposition of full or partial interests in rental properties	0	0	0	0
Gain on disposition of unconsolidated entities	0	0	0	0
Impairment of consolidated depreciable real estate	0		0	0
Discontinued operations:
Gain on disposition of rental properties				0
Income tax expense (benefit) on non-FFO:
Gain on disposition of rental properties	1,088,000	3,310,000	8,549,000	32,028,000
Impairment of Depreciable Real Estate	(158,805,000)		(158,805,000)	(50,053,000)
FFO attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	(62,585,000)	(21,302,000)	(332,084,000)	(54,889,000)
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