Earnings Per Share (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, except Share data	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
Jul. 31, 2011	Jul. 31, 2010	Jul. 31, 2011	Jul. 31, 2010
Numerators
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	$ (9,923)	$ 149,785	$ 31,689	$ 133,047
Preferred dividends	(3,850)	(4,107)	(7,700)	(4,107)
Undistributed earnings allocated to participating securities		(4,786)	(761)	(4,065)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders - Basic	(13,773)	140,892	23,228	124,875
Dividends on preferred stock		4,107		4,107
Undistributed earnings allocated to participating securities		4,786	761	4,065
Interest on convertible debt		2,640		5,280
Preferred distribution on Class A Common Units		585		1,171
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders - Diluted	(13,773)	153,010	23,989	139,498
Net earnings attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc.	8,134	122,846	55,701	107,284
Undistributed earnings allocated to participating securities	(585)	(3,901)	(1,523)	(3,253)
Net earnings attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders - Basic	3,699	114,838	46,478	99,924
Undistributed earnings allocated to participating securities		3,901	1,523	3,253
Net earnings attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders - Diluted	$ 3,699	$ 126,071	$ 48,001	$ 113,735
Denominators
Weighted average shares outstanding - Basic	168,788,754	155,456,575	167,171,093	155,405,179
Effect of stock options and restricted stock		442,299	1,036,656	468,164
Effect of convertible preferred stock		14,550,257		11,656,283
Effect of convertible debt		28,133,038		28,133,038
Effect of convertible Class A Common Units		3,646,755		3,646,755
Weighted average shares outstanding - Diluted	168,788,754	202,228,924	168,207,749	199,309,419
Basic and diluted earnings (loss) per common share
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders - Basic	$ (0.08)	$ 0.91	$ 0.14	$ 0.80
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders - Diluted	$ (0.08)	$ 0.76	$ 0.14	$ 0.70
Net earnings attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders - Basic	$ 0.02	$ 0.74	$ 0.28	$ 0.64
Net earnings attributable to Forest City Enterprises, Inc. common shareholders - Diluted	$ 0.02	$ 0.62	$ 0.29	$ 0.57

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Net Income Loss From Continuing Operations Available To Common Stockholders Basic.

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Net Income Loss From Continuing Operations Available To Common Stockholders Diluted.

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Net income loss net of undistributed earnings allocated to participating securities available to common shareholders basis.

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Preferred Distribution On Common Stock Units.

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Undistributed earnings allocated to participating securities diluted.

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Undistributed earnings from continuing operations allocated to participating securities.

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In computing the dilutive effect of convertible securities, the numerator is adjusted, on an after-tax basis, to add back any dividends on convertible preferred stock.

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The amount of net income or loss for the period per each share of common stock outstanding during the reporting period.

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The amount of net income or loss for the period per each share of common stock and dilutive common stock equivalents outstanding during the reporting period.

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This element represents the income or loss from continuing operations attributable to the reporting entity which may also be defined as revenue less expenses and taxes from ongoing operations before extraordinary items and cumulative effects of changes in accounting principles, but after deduction of those portions of income or loss from continuing operations that are allocable to noncontrolling interests, if any.

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The amount of income (loss) from continuing operations per each share of common stock outstanding during the reporting period.

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The amount of income (loss) from continuing operations available to each share of common stock outstanding during the reporting period and each share that would have been outstanding assuming the issuance of common shares for all dilutive potential common shares outstanding during the reporting period.

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Debt securities outstanding shall be assumed to have been converted at the beginning of the period (or at time of issuance, if later), and the resulting common shares shall be included in common shares used to calculate diluted earnings per shares. The dilutive effect of convertible debt securities shall be reflected in diluted Earnings Per Share by application of the if-converted method.

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Convertible preferred stock, if dilutive, shall be assumed to have been converted at the beginning of the period (or at time of issuance, if later), and the resulting common shares shall be included in common shares used to calculate diluted earnings per shares.

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Aggregate awards of share options and nonvested shares to be issued to an employee under a share-based compensation arrangement are considered options for purposes of computing diluted earnings per share. Such share-based awards shall be considered to be outstanding as of the grant date for purposes of computing diluted earnings per share even though their exercise may be contingent upon vesting. Those share-based awards are included in the diluted Earnings Per Share (EPS) computation even if the employee may not receive (or be able to sell) the stock until some future date. Accordingly, all shares to be issued shall be included in computing diluted EPS if the effect is dilutive. The dilutive effect of share-based compensation arrangements shall be computed using the treasury stock method. If the equity share options or other equity instruments are outstanding for only part of a period, the shares issuable shall be weighted to reflect the portion of the period during which the equity instruments were outstanding.

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In computing the dilutive effect of convertible debt, the earnings per share numerator is adjusted to add back the after-tax amount of interest recognized in the period associated with any convertible debt.

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The portion of consolidated profit or loss for the period, net of income taxes, which is attributable to the parent. If the entity does not present consolidated financial statements, the amount of profit or loss for the period, net of income taxes.

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Net Income (Loss) Available to Common Stockholders plus adjustments resulting from the assumption that dilutive convertible securities were converted, options or warrants were exercised, or that other shares were issued upon the satisfaction of certain conditions.

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The amount of dividends declared or paid in the period to preferred shareholders, or the amount for which the obligation to pay them dividends arose in the period.

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The average number of shares issued and outstanding that are used in calculating diluted EPS, determined based on the timing of issuance of shares in the period.

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Number of [basic] shares, after adjustment for contingently issuable shares and other shares not deemed outstanding, determined by relating the portion of time within a reporting period that common shares have been outstanding to the total time in that period.

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